ORBITAL IMPLANTS

Abstract

The tolerance of the orbital tissue to foreign materials has always been well known, and for this reason many substances have been implanted in Tenon's capsule. Most ophthalmologists of the present day concede that something should be put into the socket after enucleation in order to obliterate the unnatural folds and depressions in the upper and lower lids and to prevent ptosis, impaired motility and sinking of the artificial eye. For this reason aluminum, celluloid, sponge, wool, silver, rubber, silk, catgut, peat, agar agar, paraffin, asbestos, cork, ivory and other substances have been used, with varying success. At present the most common implants are gold balls, glass balls, fat and fascia lata. Each of these has its champions, and I am sure there is no ophthalmologist who has not experienced the unpleasant sensation of finding an implant expelled from the orbit for no apparent reason. The operation seemed perfect ; there