Popped Eye (Bulging Eye) Reduction (Orbital Decompression Surgery)

Structurally or due to thyroid disease, some of our patients have a popped-eye structure. In these patients, orbital decompression surgery can be performed to preserve eye functions or to have a better cosmetic appearance. Orbital decompression surgery is an operation to enlarge the orbit. The orbit is the bony structure that accommodates the eyeball and its surrounding muscles and nerves. Because of the hard bone walls, these walls cannot flex and enlarge. In cases such as tumor or thyroid-induced ophthalmopathy (Graves) that cause volume increase in and around the eye, the eyeball and nerve will remain under pressure as the bone walls cannot expand. In these patients, there is an increase in muscle and fat tissues around the eyesBecause of the bone structure of the orbital walls, the eye is pushed forward in these patients and the visual nerve (optic nerve) begins to compress. If this condition lasts for a long time, the visual nerve will be damaged. In addition, these patients complain of significant increase in pressure around the eyes and pain. In such cases, the orbital volume can be expanded by opening the bone walls of the orbit, this is the orbital decompression surgery. In such cases, orbital decompression surgery is performed to increase the volume of the orbit. In this way, the pressure increase around the eye and optic nerve is reduced to normal. With this procedure, patients are protected from loss of vision and pain and pressure.

When planning orbital decompression surgery, detailed tomographies of the eye and surrounding area (nasal sinuses) should be performed. In this way, it is decided how much the orbital volume can be expanded.

Surgery is performed with general anesthesia. During the procedure, usually outer (ear-side) wall of the orbit is removed and the orbital space is extended to the deep temple. Then, the inner wall of the orbit (nasal side) is removed and the orbital space is extended to the sinuses around the nose. When these procedures are finished, the eyeball pushed forward will come back again and appearance of the eye will become more natural. In addition, the visual nerve (optic nerve), which is at deeper risk, will be released from pressure increase. For last years, we started to perform endoscopic trans nasal assisted transcaruncular decompression surgery. I this way, not only we decreased peri operative discomfort and healing period, we also started to yield more sufficient decompression with wide nasal wall decompression without need to open skin incisions and temoral (ear-side) bones of the orbit.

In this way, orbital decompression surgery has been used more frequently in the treatment of extremely large eyes in addition to emergency cases in recent years. The advances in surgical techniques and equipment have reduced the surgical risks and made this surgery possible for cosmetic purposes. For this reason, in our clinic, orbital decompression surgery can be and has been used in cosmetic treatment of patients with popped eyes.