Eye Socket Fracture / Bone Injuries

Eye Bone Fracture

The eye orbit is a bony structure surrounding the eye. If one or more bones around the eye are broken, it is known as an orbital fracture. Eye socket fractures typically occur following some kind of injury or trauma to the face. Based on the location of the fracture, the condition may be associated with serious eye damage or eye injury.

Symptoms of Eye Socket Fracture

Symptoms of eye socket fracture can vary from one patient to another. But some of the common symptoms may include:

• Pain in the eye
• Bruising around the eye area
• Eyelid swelling
• Double vision
• Reduced movement of the injured eye

Your eye care expert will diagnose an eye socket fracture after a physical exam of the affected area and a review of your medical history. In addition, the eye specialist may require the following tests to confirm the diagnosis:

• X-ray: An x-ray involves the use of electromagnetic rays that will produce images of the internal tissue, organs, and bones onto film
• CT scan: A computerized tomography scan combines the use of x-rays and advanced computing technology to create cross-sectional images of the focused area

Eye Socket Fracture – Treatments

The treatment for an eye socket fracture may begin with a consultation with an eye surgeon with advanced training in eye care to fully evaluate the eye condition. An eye socket fracture may not necessarily require immediate treatment. Depending on the type of injury, your surgeon may want to allow time for the bruising and swelling to resolve before they treat the fracture.

The initial symptoms of double vision will usually disappear naturally within the first week. If the eye socket fracture is more severe, or an eye injury is involved, your oculoplastic surgeon may decide to perform immediate surgery or within a few days of the trauma.

When is Surgery Required for an Eye Socket Fracture

• If the double vision persists for several days following the injury, you may require surgery. This could indicate damage to one of the eye muscles that enable eye movement. If the double vision resolves quickly, it was probably due to swelling and no treatment is necessary.
• If the injury resulted in enophthalmos (the eyeball getting pushed back into the socket), a surgery may be necessary.
• If at least 50 percent of the interior wall suffered damage, your treatment provider may recommend surgery to prevent facial deformity.

When surgery is unavoidable, your eye surgeon may want to wait for up to 15 days so that the swelling gets resolved. This will allow them to examine the eye socket more closely.

To perform the surgery, the doctor will create a tiny incision on the external corner of your eye and another incision inside the eyelid. The procedure may also be performed endoscopically where the surgical instruments along with a camera will be inserted through the nose or mouth.

Contact Khan Eyelid and Facial Aesthetics and Oculoplastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Dr. Tanya Khan Today to Schedule an Appointment

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