[Use of Medpor spherical implant: analysis of 61 orbital surgeries]

To analyze the use of Medpor biointegrated implant in surgeries of evisceration, enucleation or secondary implantation in anophthalmic sockets.

The Medpor orbitary implant was used in 61 surgeries. In 18 cases of evisceration the implant's wrapping was not necessary. In 12 enucleation and secondary implantation surgeries the utilized material to wrap the implant was homologous duramater. In the other 31 surgeries, the implant wrapping was made from autologous tissue (sclera, dermis, orbicular muscle or auricular cartilage), utilizing the "cap" technique--covering only the anterior surface of Medpor.

The patients were operated from January 1998 to December 2004 with an average follow-up period of 30 months. In all cases the implant was well accepted, allowing for a good adaptation of the prosthesis. Late exposure of the implant occurred in two patients: the first was corrected by the replacement of the implant in the cavity, while in the second case the exposure was wrapped with a tarsus flap.

In our experience the Medpor implant presents good acceptance, with a small exposure rate (only 2 cases), no infection or migration cases, and a good prosthesis adaptation in all patients. The use of autologous tissue to wrap the implant's anterior surface eliminates the inherent risk of using homologous tissues.