Effects of secondary porous orbital implantation in anophthalmic sockets

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of secondary porous orbital implantation 10 years after the primary evisceration in anophthalmic patients.

This study is a retrospective case series. Secondary orbital implant insertion was performed for 25 anophthalmic patients (25 eyes) who had experienced primary evisceration more than 10 years earlier. Under general anesthesia, secondary enucleation removing the contracted sclera, including the optic nerve, was performed, and diverse types of porous orbital implants were inserted. After surgery, changes in the socket and ocular prosthesis motility, and improvements in esthetic appearance were evaluated.

For 24 of the 25 eyes, the patients were satisfied. In 17 eyes, ocular motility was higher than "fair" and showed improvement. Deep superior sulcus deformity was improved to "good" in 8 eyes, and enophthalmos was improved to "fair" in 15 eyes. Combined procedures to correct lid malposition and fornix contracture were successful, and these additional operations to correct the prolonged complications of anophthalmos might have reduced the frequency of implant exposure.

In older anophthalmic patients with considerable concomitant socket contracture and cosmetic concerns, secondary porous orbital implant insertion may improve esthetics and the motility of the ocular prosthesis.