Post-traumatic reconstruction of the enucleated contracted eye socket: A comparative study

Contracted eye socket is a constant cosmetic embarrassment to the patient. It does not only render patients unable to maintain eye prosthesis, but it becomes a source of chronic discharge and irritation. Traumatic injuries to the orbit and neighboring soft tissue lead to a contracted eye socket. To evaluate the use of full thickness and thick split thickness skin graft in the reconstruction of contracted eye socket with achieving satisfactory cosmetic results we used bilateral fish tail incision in continuity with the transverse incision on the back of the eye socket for rising of two unipedicle hinge flaps for creation of upper and lower fornices. Fixation of full-thickness and thick split-thickness skin graft to the created raw area by stitch and splint (non-adherent tulle and eye prosthesis). Twenty-six patients with contracted eye sockets treated with above method from February, 2004 to March, 2005. Eye sockets with adequate size were created in 22 patients and the results were satisfactory, four patients had unsatisfactory results due to partial loss of the full thickness skin graft. We believe that thick split thickness skin graft can be effectively used well than full thickness skin graft in the reconstruction of the contracted eye socket with uncomplicated problems.