First, it must be determined if the cause of your eye bulging is a direct consequence of Grave’s disease. Other causes for eye bulging include orbital tumors or infections, and therefore require distinct treatment strategies.

Once you are confirmed to be a good candidate for orbital decompression surgery, surgical planning including imaging studies will be required prior to surgery. The surgery itself is performed in outpatient surgery center or a main hospital operating room. A small endoscopic camera is used to guide the surgery through the nose, similarly to endoscopic sinus surgery. The sinuses adjacent to the wall that separates the eye from the nose is identified and removed. The thin lining surrounding the fat of the eye is then incised, allowing the fat bulge out into the sinus cavity. This allows the pressure to be released from the eye, allowing it to sink back into the eye socket. After the surgery, you will notice an immediate improvement in your protrusion of your eye.