Orbital exenteration

Exenteration of the orbit is a disfiguring and destructive procedure that i s usually reserved for treatment of life-threatening orbital malignancy whe n a less radical operation such as local surgery, chemotherapy, or irradiat ion are deemed inadequate or have failed. Many methods have been published for managing the socket, but of primary importance is the need to remove di seased tissue prior to considering any reconstructive efforts. Options incl ude spontaneous. granulation, skin grafting, or muscle flaps. This article will describe the development and the indications for this procedure and wi ll outline the surgical techniques and its complications, the various recon structive efforts, and survival. The success of orbital exenteration depend s on recurrence, histological type, tumor size, and tumor-free margins.