This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Micro-fat grafting may be a safe option for orbital volume enhancement, study suggests
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Micro-fat grafting to the anophthalmic or enophthalmic socket seems to be a safe alternative for orbital volume augmentation, according to a study by researchers in England.
"[The technique] has the advantages of avoiding alloplastic infectious complications, ease of technique, minimal donor site morbidity, acceptable graft take rate, low embolic complication rate and good cosmetic outcome," the study authors said.
Thomas G. Hardy, MD, and colleagues at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, reviewed clinical and photographic records for 12 patients with either an anophthalmic or enophthalmic orbit (14 total orbits). Patients underwent orbital volume enhancement via micro-fat grafting (lipostructure).
"The volume of fat injected ranged from 0.8 mL to 4.5 mL per orbit, with a median increase in exophthalmometry measurements (available in nine patients) of 2 mm (range, 0 mm to 7.5 mm)," the authors said.
At 14.5 months mean follow-up, all patients showed improvement in cosmetic outcome; however, two patients required repeat grafting, the authors noted.
There were no embolic complications, and the procedure was well tolerated in all patients, according to the study, published in the November/December issue of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.