Polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron) in intraocular surgery

Polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron) exhibits properties that make it highly suitable for use in intraocular surgery. These include high breaking and knot strength, good tensile strength retention in vivo, low tissue reaction, high resistance to hydrolysis, and good resistance to light. As a result of a series of animal experiments by Peyman and co-workers, Dacron has been shown to be suitable for fixation of an intraocular lens. Based on this, a series of human experiments was performed. Nine subjects received Dacron-wrapped loop iridocapsular or Dacron-wrapped loop iris fixation lens implants after an extracapsular or an intracapsular cataract extraction (study group). Nine subjects received the same style lens implants without Dacron-wrapped loops (control group). The complications in the study group were insignificant, and postoperative visual acuity was good in all patients. Fixation of the Dacron-wrapped loops to the back of the iris was demonstrated in eight of the nine eyes.