Has anyone out there had an eye operation for thyroid eye disease.Any reports welcome?

Question

Relative of mine is going into hospital soon to have orbitol surgery. appreciate any info

this condition is auto immune. wondered what recovery time is

Answer 1

The first page below gives a good basic list of thyroid eye disease information.

There are three different types of surgery that may be considered for this condition:
1) on the eyelids, to prevent the staring appearance and risk to the corneas of exposure.
2) on the eye muscles, to correct persistent double vision
3) on the orbit, (the eye socket) to decompress the space where enlarged tissue is causing troublesome swelling behind the eye.

The last is the most serious, and the least often required.
The results can be very good, but should not be promised as there can be considerable variation from person to person.
The second source give a lot more detail, and shows the result of a successful operation.

Answer 2

Thyroid disease causes in increase in the thickness of the extraocular muscls, inflammation of the muscles themselves and the other orbital tissues. This causes an increase in volume of these tissues which causes pressure to the eye, the nerve...etc.

To decrease the pressure effects, one can remove orbital fat or make more room. The paranasal sinuses have a little room. The orbital surgery opens the ethmoidal sinuses which allows some of the tissue to move out of the orbit. They also remove some tissues and also can go to the lateral wall and could go inferiorly to the maxillary sinus...but the inferior oribital nerve passes down there so they don't usually consider this as the primary site.

The main thing is somehow controlling the thyroid disease and getting the hormones under control. That's the main trick. Is it an inflammatory problem (Hashimotos'?) or pituitary, hyothalamic, or primary thyroid tumor?

The orbital problem is sort of 'physical' and the surgery addresses it as such.