The Experimental Study on the Usability of Gore-Tex(R) as an Extraocular Muscle Expander

ABSTRACT

Expander procedure is a newly developed extraocular muscle weakening technique which has several advantages such as good control of resection margin, easy reoperation, rare postoperative muscular paresis. For the study of usability of Gore-Tex(R) as a muscle expander, fifteen rabbits received expander procedure with Gore-Tex(R) in right eye and silicone retinal band in left eye. At postoperative 1, 3, 5, 7, 12 weeks, histopathologic examination was performed. There was no significant difference in inflammatory reaction in both groups. Inflammatory reaction decreased with time in both groups. In Gore-Tex(R) expander group, muscle regeneration from cut end was observed at the 3rd postoperative week and fibroblast ingrowth into the expander was observed at the 5th postoperative week. These findings were more prominent with time. Adhesion of expander to underlying sclera was not observed in both groups. It is concluded that expander procedure using Gore-Tex(R) will be a new and useful surgical method for the extraocular muscle weakening procedure.