Can Orbital Floor Augmentation Be Done By Injection?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am looking to have an orbital floor augmentation procedure. My left eye is placed about 3mm lower than the right and I am searching for different methods to correct this, trying to find the least invasive method possible. Is it technically possible to correct the orbital dystopia with injections? I mean, using some kind of injectable cement or even fat that would be injected for orbital floor augmentation. I have searched the internet but I haven’t found much information about a possible injectable orbital dystopia correction procedure. What would be the risks of such hypothetical procedure?

A: Injecting any material, even fat, into the orbit would be neither safe nor effective for correcting orbital dystopia. The most severe risk of this procedure would be blindness or visual field loss. The safe and effective procedure would be orbital floor augmentation done through a standard lower eyelid/blepharoplasty incision. Bone cement can be placed to build up the orbital floor to the desired level. This is not really much more invasive than a lower blepharoplasty procedure. It would be good to see before surgery an orbital 3D CT scan to see the exact location and extent of the orbital floor differences. A custom orbital floor implant can also be made from this same 3D CT scan.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana