[Surgical rehabilitation in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy; favorable results of orbital decompression via coronal approach].

Bilateral decompression of the orbit by a coronal approach was performed for cosmetic rehabilitation in 53 female patients with proptosis in the non-inflammatory stage after Graves' ophthalmopathy. Proptosis reduction averaged 5.9 mm Hertel value one year after surgery. All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic result obtained. Advantages of the technique used are: good access to all orbital walls facilitating adequate proptosis reduction; no visible scars after surgery; only very few complications. In our group there was no loss of visual acuity and the incidence of diplopia after surgery of only 4% is the lowest reported in the literature.