Injuries to the eye socket and surrounding eye structures are a common occurrence. Blunt force trauma and sharp force trauma due to assaults, athletic activities and falls can lead to canalicular lacerations, eyelid lacerations, orbital fractures and orbital hemorrhages. An oculoplastic surgeon will examine and treat the eyeball in addition to the socket as the eyeball is an injury-prone area. During the consultation, New York oculoplastic surgeon Dr. Robert Schwarcz will examine the patient’s face and eyes and assess the patient’s orbital CT scan results to determine the injury’s severity.
The fragile nature of the orbital bones and adjacent sinuses make it highly likely for eye and orbit trauma to result in an orbital blowout fracture. Often, the fracture occurs in the orbital floor or medial wall. While some orbital fractures do not require surgery, large fractures or fractures that cause enophthalmos or diplopia do necessitate a surgical procedure.
To prevent scarring and increase the procedure’s success rate, an orbital blowout fracture should be repaired no later than 2 weeks after the trauma occurred. In some cases, the surgeon may be unable to repair the site immediately. For example, a sunken eye may appear or become more severe over time; therefore, the patient will need enophthalmos surgery or a filler injection to improve the appearance of the sunken eye.
Due to the small incisions that remain hidden inside of the eyelids, patients tend to recover quickly from orbital fracture surgery. Dr. Schwarcz performs this surgery while the patient is under general anesthesia. This outpatient procedure takes approximately 1 hour for the surgeon to complete, and the patient will have a follow-up appointment at Dr. Schwarcz’s New York office 1 week after the surgery.
Since the orbit and eyelid are complex structures, oculoplastic surgeons undergo specialized training to learn the nuances of eyelid and orbital treatments. Oculoplastic surgeons who are members of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery are board-certified ophthalmologists who must complete a cosmetic and reconstructive surgery fellowship to receive training on treating issues that involve the eyelids, lacrimal system, orbits and nearby structures. Dr. Schwarcz is an oculoplastic cosmetic surgeon who is an American Board of Cosmetic Surgery diplomat and board certified by the ASOPRS as well as the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
