The bony orbit contains the eye and its associated structures including the lacrimal (tear gland), extraocular muscles, nerves, blood vessels and surrounding fat.
A number of disease processes may affect the orbit such as inflammatory disease, infection, orbital tumours (benign and malignant), thyroid eye disease and blood vessel abnormalities.
Symptoms of orbital disease include protrusion of the eye (known as proptosis - the eye may have a staring appearance or appear to bulge), pain, redness, reduced eye movement, double or reduced vision, and a palpable mass.
It is sometimes necessary to remove an eye or the contents of the orbit to improve patient comfort, appearance, and quality of life, to protect vision in the other eye, or to remove lesions that may cause a threat to life.
Following removal of an eye, further treatment of the eye socket may be needed in order to optimise overall comfort and appearance
Miss Mellington will speak with you and take a detailed history of your condition. She will assess your symptoms and examine you. This is important to establish a working diagnosis and guide investigative tests and treatment.
Old photographs are often helpful and you are encouraged to bring these with you to the consultation.
The list below shows conditions treated by Miss Mellington, some have patient information leaflets to download:
Orbital biopsy
Lateral orbital wall decompression
'Balanced’ two-wall and 3-wall orbital decompression
Eye removal – evisceration, enucleation, exenteration
