Oculofacial and orbital plastic surgery
Blending specialized expertise with personalized care.
Orbital and periocular tumor removal
Our oculofacial surgeons are experts at sparing all the tissue they can, down to the millimeter.
Enucleation
The entire eyeball is removed, including the sclera, the white outer layer. The eye muscles are saved and attached to a spherical implant so that your eye socket will still move. After about a month of healing, you will see an ocularist, who will customize and fit an eye prosthesis for you.
Evisceration
The eye contents are removed, leaving the sclera and all eye muscles intact. A spherical implant is placed inside the sclera, and your socket is sewn closed. After about a month of healing, you will see an ocularist, who will customize and fit an eye prosthesis for you.
Exenteration
The entire orbit is removed, usually for cancer treatment. This typically includes the eyelids, eye and all surrounding tissue down to the orbital bones. Sometimes the surrounding skin can be used to line the socket, and sometimes a skin graft is taken from the thigh to line the socket. After several months, once you are healed, we will create a new orbital prosthesis for you to wear.
MOHS surgery
If your eyelid has certain types of cancer, we work with a MOHS surgeon to remove the cancer with a special tissue-sparing method, followed by our surgical reconstruction the same or next day.
Trauma to the eye or cheek
If you’ve suffered blunt trauma to your eye and/or eye socket, you should see us immediately for evaluation. If you have an orbital fracture, your eye, the muscles that move it and orbital fat can become stuck in the fracture, giving you double vision, severe pain and nausea. A fracture can also increase the size of your orbit, and after swelling goes away your eye can sink back into the orbit, causing sunken eye (enophthlamos). If your fracture needs to be repaired, we will operate through small incisions and place an implant, if needed.
Lacrimal surgery
If you need surgical repair for your tear duct system, come see one of our lacrimal surgical specialists. We’ll treat you with a personalized care plan that may include:
- Temporary punctal plugs to block the punctum, the opening of the tear drainage system.
- Permanent non-dissolving punctal plugs and punctal occlusion.
- Correcting abnormal eyelid position or function.
- Opening the punctum (punctoplasty).
- Repair the canaliculus, the small passage in the eyelids.
- LipiFlow, a device that unclogs blocked glands on your eyelids.
Plastic surgery for eyelids and more
You can also come to us if you need plastic and reconstructive surgery for:
- Eyelid malposition.
- Droopy eyelids (ptosis).
- Eyelids that turn out (ectropion) and turn in (entropion).
- Twitching of the eye (blepharospasm) and eye plus mouth (hemifacial spasm).
- The bony cavity surrounding your eye (orbit) and the surrounding part of your face.
This delicate type of surgery can affect your eyesight, so our ophthalmic plastic surgeons will provide any care that your eye itself may need. We also offer a full range of aesthetic services like brow lifts and face-lifts. Read about that here.
Thyroid eye disease
In some cases, thyroid eye disease (TED) results in permanent changes in the physical appearance of the eyes, and occasionally results in double vision. Surgery can help improve your appearance and vision, and follows a specific order:
- Orbital decompression surgery to treat any optic neuropathy and excessive bulging (proptosis).
- Eye muscle surgery to correct double vision (diplopia).
- Eyelid surgery to improve appearance.
Let’s focus on
your future
Your case is one of a kind, and we’ll treat it that way with personalized treatment every step of the way. Make an appointment today so we can help you move beyond this and into the next great phase of your life.
Oculofacial and orbital plastic surgery
Sophie Liao, MD, Ophthalmologist | UCHealth
Make an appointment at one of our Eye Centers
Your eyes are in good hands
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