%0 Journal Article
%T Major orbital injuries following functional endoscopic sinus surgery: a descriptive case series from an Australian multidisciplinary survey
%A Paris, Jai
%A Almater, Abdullah I.
%A Kaijun, Tay
%A Rana, Khizar
%A Wormald, Peter-John
%A Selva, Dinesh
%A Psaltis, Alkis
%J Australian Journal of Otolaryngology
%D 2026
%B 2026
%9 
%! Major orbital injuries following functional endoscopic sinus surgery: a descriptive case series from an Australian multidisciplinary survey
%K 
%X Background: Major orbital complications following functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) are rare but can cause significant long-term morbidity. Despite this, the characteristics of these injuries and optimal treatment approaches remain poorly described. We present a descriptive case series drawn from national Australian survey findings on major orbital injuries following FESS, focusing on long-term outcomes.Methods: A structured electronic survey was distributed to members of four relevant national surgical societies to capture cases of major orbital injury following FESS. Data collected included patient demographics, operative details, injury type and extent, management and outcomes.Results: Seven cases were voluntarily reported. These consisted of injuries to the medial rectus muscle (n=5), superior oblique muscle (n=2), orbital hematoma (n=1), and optic nerve (n=1). The most common surgical indication was chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) without polyps (n=4) and the predominant procedure type was bilateral full house FESS (n=6). Intraoperative complications were noted in 3/7 cases, most commonly orbital fat prolapse. There were 5/7 cases with immediate postoperative diplopia, and 5/7 remained symptomatic at 12-month despite interventions. Both cases of superior oblique palsy occurred following frontal drill-out procedures and remained symptomatic despite treatment.Conclusions: Orbital injuries following FESS are uncommon, but can carry significant morbidity, particularly when the extraocular muscles are involved. Superior oblique injury was observed following frontal drill-out procedures in this series, and additional caution may be warranted during these cases. However, given the limited case numbers, a causal relationship cannot be established and warrants further investigation in larger nationwide cohorts.
%U https://www.theajo.com/article/view/5195
%V 9
%P 
%@ 2616-2792