ORBITAL EXENTERATION - THE RECONSTRUCTIVE LADDER

Following orbital exenteration, there is a spectrum of immediate and delayed options for orbital reconstruction. Goals of reconstruction after exenteration include detection of recurrent disease, restoration of boundaries between the orbit and surrounding structures, and optimal aesthetics. Local solutions to problems of the exenterated orbit, such as healing by granulation or application of split-thickness skin grafts, are advantageous for detecting recurrent disease. Regional solutions, involving transfer of periorbital tissue into the orbit, may mask recurrent disease and create adjacent deformity; however, these solutions can be used to restore orbital boundaries and shallow the orbital cavity. Distant solutions, such as skin-muscle flaps and free tissue grafts, allow for facial reconstruction in patients with extensive orbital and periorbital defects.