Decompression of the Optic Nerve in the Optic Canal

Blindness can result from pressure on the optic nerve in the optic canal, either from trauma or from neoplasm. The usefulness, timing, and technique of surgical decompression of the optic canal remains controversial. The present paper describes eight patients with optic nerve compression, who had the optic nerve decompressed through a transorbital approach. Because this technique is technically simple and is associated with a low morbidity, it offers a treatment alternative to this difficult group of patients.