Lateral wall orbital decompression in Graves' orbitopathy.

Orbital decompression can be carried out, for rehabilitative reasons, using various techniques, but a general consensus on the ideal surgical approach has not been reached. Postoperative diplopia is the most common side effect of decompression surgery. The authors report 39 patients (72 orbits) who underwent lateral wall orbital decompression. Mean preoperative and postoperative Hertel exophthalmometry were 22.8+/-2.2mm (mean+/-SD; range 16-26 mm) and 18.2+/-2.1mm (range 15-22 mm), respectively. Mean proptosis reduction was 4.5+/-1.9 mm. A new appearance of diplopia postoperatively in the extreme gaze direction was observed in three patients (8%). The complication rate in this series was low, making the procedure safe and well tolerated. In the authors' opinion, when a single-wall approach is feasible, lateral wall decompression should be the first choice because of its effectiveness in terms of proptosis reduction and safeness in terms of postoperative diplopia.