Background: The important question in primary eye socket tumors surgery is total surgery and saving the patient's sight.
The aim of the study: It was assessment of the data of primary non malignant tumor therapy in Cracovian Department of Otolaryngology.
Material and methods: 145 patients (79 male and 66 female), aged 7 months-84 years, were treated in Otolaryngological Department Jagiellonian University in years 1991-2001. In 118 cases primary benign orbital tumors were removed, in remaining patients tumors were malignant. In 89 patients lateral orbitotomy by Kronlein was performed and in other cases different types of orbitotomy were used. 5 years otolaryngological and ophtalmological catamnnesis wascomplete.
Results: In all patients eyeball was preserved, even in 6 with optic nerve glioma. Reccurent tumors were observed in 2 cases, diplopia in 15 patients and sight's lost in 8 (in 6 with optic nerve glioma).
Conclusions: In the majority of patients with radical oncological surgery it is possible to preserve eyesight.