Lateral Canthotomy in Orbital Compartment Syndrome: Special Operations Medics on the Battlefield Can Save the Eye

The primary medical role of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Medic is to stabilize the patient and prevent loss of life, limb, and eyesight on the battlefield. Significant time and resources are invested to ensure that SOF Medics are the best trained and most proficient combat Medics in the world. While considerable focus is placed on teaching the intricacies of saving life and limb, it seems as though only tacit emphasis is placed on the preservation of eyesight. Loss of vision can mean not only decrement of lifestyle for the patient, but could also mean loss to the military of a highly trained operator with years of irreplaceable experience. It is the conclusion of the authors that in addition to the current approach of medical management for orbital compartment syndrome, the skills to perform a lateral canthotomy and cantholysis could easily be introduced into the SOF medical training curriculum. This is a relatively straightforward procedure which could significantly reduce the morbidity from a potentially blinding injury.