Endoscopic orbital fat decompression for the management of proptosis in Grave's orbitopathy using a laryngeal skimmer blade.

Backgrounds/

Objectives: Intraoperative handling and manipulation of orbital fat remains a challenge to orbital surgeons. We present a case series of endoscopic orbital fat decompression with medial orbital wall decompression for proptosis management in Grave's orbitopathy, describing a technique for fat excision using a laryngeal skimmer blade, reporting clinical and surgical outcomes, and complications. Subjects/

Methods: All patients who underwent endoscopic orbital fat decompression, with medial orbital wall decompression, for proptosis management in Grave's orbitopathy between 2011 and 2018, under the care of a single surgeon, were included in this retrospective interventional case series.

Results: Nineteen patients were included in this study. Using a laryngeal skimmer blade, orbital fat was excised endoscopically at the time of medial orbital wall decompression. The mean volume of orbital fat excised was 1.45 ± 0.63 ml and the mean reduction in proptosis was 4.5 ± 1.02 mm. There were no intraoperative complications.

Conclusions: In this study, we describe our experience of using a laryngeal skimmer blade as a method of excising orbital fat for orbital decompression in patients with proptosis secondary to Grave's orbitopathy.