The Clinical Study of the Exposure of Implant after Evisceration

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine the factors leading to the exposure of porous spherical orbital implants (Hydroxyapatite or Medpor(R)) after evisceration. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of evisceration cases with porous spherical orbital implant performed between January 1998 and August 2002 (n=104). Forty-five patients underwent evisceration with Hydroxyapatite implantation and 59 with Medpor(R) implantation. We analyzed the exposure rate by sex, age, size of implant, kind of implant, with or without drilling, preoperative condition of eyeball, and surgeon. RESULTS: Mean follow-up period was 18.1 months. The sex, age, size of implant, drilling, and preoperative eyeball condition showed no statistically significant difference on exposure rate, but Medpor(R) implant showed a higher exposure rate than Hydroxyapatite. The exposure rate of implant between orbital implants was mostly influenced by surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: The exposure rate of implant was mostly influenced by surgeon's factor, indicating that delicate operative technique for evisceration is necessary.