[Porous polyethylene (Medpor) orbital implant. Prospective study of 75 primary implantations].

PURPOSE: To examine the incidence of orbital complications in patients who underwent primary placement of a porous polyethylene implant (Medpor) after enucleation.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Prospective non randomized case series of 75 consecutive patients in whom a porous polyethylene (PP) spherical implant wrapped with homologous sclera was implanted after enucleation.

RESULTS

The mean age at the time of enucleation was 42.7 years (range, 1.4 to 80 years). The histopathological diagnoses after enucleation included uveal melanoma in 28 patients, retinoblastoma in 11 patients, phthisis bulbi in 23 patients, neovascular glaucoma in 5 patients, endophthalmitis in 3 patients, ruptured traumatic globe in 2 patients, microphthalmos in two patients, and medulloepithelioma in one patient. Thirty-four patients (45%) had had prior ocular surgery. The prosthesis was fitted after a mean interval of 4.5 weeks (range, 3 to 10 weeks). After a mean follow-up of 20 months (range, 3 to 33 months), there was one case (1%) of conjunctival dehiscence with material exposure secondary to massive postoperative orbital hemorrhage 2 weeks after enucleation. There was no case of orbital cellulitis, implant extrusion, or significant inflammatory response. No PP implant was drilled for peg placement. DISCUSSION-

CONCLUSIONS

The anteriorly wrapped porous polyethylene orbital (Medpor) sphere appears to be well tolerated by all age groups with no major complication in primary implantation after enucleation.