Complete Orbital Exenteration Due to Squamous Cell Carcinoma
This patient underwent orbital exenteration to address a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) located adjacent to the eye, visible just below the eye in the first photo. To fill the resulting void, an anterolateral thigh free flap was used, and microvascular surgery was performed to establish blood flow to the flap.
Orbital exenteration is a significant surgical procedure typically employed to remove malignant tumors affecting the eyelids or adjacent eye structures. This surgery is necessary when there is a risk of local extension or metastatic spread via the bloodstream to other organs. The rationale behind such extensive surgery is that preserving the eyeball to retain vision might not effectively eradicate the tumor and could compromise the patient's overall prognosis.
For general knowledge, exenteration involves the removal of the entire eye globe and surrounding structures, including muscles, fat, nerves, and eyelids, depending on the disease being treated. This differs from enucleation, which removes the globe while leaving surrounding structures intact, and evisceration, which removes intraocular contents while leaving the sclera intact.
