Removal of a pellet from the left orbital cavity by image-guided endoscopic navigation.

In the cranio-maxillofacial field, computer-aided surgery based on computed tomography data is becoming increasingly important. Complex surgical procedures can be performed utilizing preoperative imaging to provide real-time localization of surgical instruments in the surgical field. Image-data-based navigation plays an ever-increasing role in cases of minimal invasive surgery. The case is presented here of a 58-year-old male patient referred after a hunting accident with a pellet in the left orbit. After transferring the preoperatively acquired computed tomography data to a commercially available navigation system, the bullet was removed through the original wound canal using an intraoperatively calibrated high-resolution endoscope.