Cryosurgical iridocyclectomy

A new surgical technique, cryosurgical iridocyclectomy, was used in the excision of an iris melanoma encroaching on the ciliary body. Iris-tumor-anterior ciliary body segment was removed en bloc. The elucidate the mechanical basis for the success of the procedure, similar operations were performed on three enucleated eyes. It was confirmed that traction on the iris by a cryoprobe resulted in forward movement of the ciliary body without iridodialysis. The iceball that formed prevented iridodialysis at its usual plane of cleavage. Cryosurgical iridocyclectomy is recommended for excision of small discrete iris tumors that encroach on the anterior ciliary body.