The orbit is the eye socket, or the bony cup surrounding your eye. The orbit protects your eye, along with the delicate muscles, nerves and fat behind the eye. Problems can occur in and around the orbit due to trauma, aging, inflammation, infection or genetic issues. Tumors can occur in or around the orbit as well.

Doctors at OHSU Casey Eye Institute's Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery clinic have the specialized skills, training and expertise to manage and treat problems with your eye socket with medicine and surgery.

Our expertise

Our orbital surgery team is among the most experienced on the West Coast. They are:

• Board certified and fellowship-trained doctors who perform complex orbital procedures in adults and children.
• Experts in addressing changes of the orbit, face and eyelids caused by trauma and accidents.
• Skilled in doing surgery on the delicate tissue that surrounds the eye.

Collaboration

To give you the most successful experience, your doctor may work with other specialists at OHSU Casey Eye Institute and throughout OHSU. We often collaborate with:

• Other surgical specialists at OHSU in cases that involve areas beyond the eyes and face, including specialists in head and neck surgery, neurosurgery and radiation oncology.
• Skilled and experienced radiologists (imaging specialists) who help us understand detailed images of your orbital area.

Technology

We use the most advanced technology available anywhere to help us understand and treat orbital issues, including:

• Leading-edge imaging equipment to give us incredibly precise pictures of your orbit and surrounding areas.
• Intraoperative navigation technology, which allows our surgeons to track their tools and use precise images taken before or during the surgery to guide them as they operate near your eye socket and brain. This increases surgical accuracy and safety.

Common tests

Common tests we might perform during your visit to our clinic include:

• Ultrasounds: which provide quick images of the areas around your eye and orbit.
• CT/MRI scans: which provide more precise and detailed images of the areas around your eye and orbit.
• Biopsies: which provide a sample of tissue to check for possible cancer or other issues.

Common treatments

Common procedures we perform to treat eye socket issues include:

• Repair of orbital fractures.
• Surgeries on the orbit — called orbitotomies — to remove benign or malignant tumors.
• Orbital decompression surgery, which removes the bones and sometimes fat in the orbit, often to help decrease the vision loss and the appearance of bulging eyes that can come with thyroid eye disease.
• Enucleation, which is the surgical remove of the eyeball, usually to remove a malignant tumor that could spread throughout the body.
• Exenteration, which is the surgical removal of the eyeball and surrounding tissues, also usually to remove a dangerous and malignant tumor.

Resources

• Oculofacial plastics and reconstructive surgery
• Cosmetic surgery
• Facial treatments
• Functional eyelid surgery
• Skin care
• Tearing management