Autogenous dermis-fat "baseball" orbital implant

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Plastic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Autogenous orbital implants are crucial for restoring orbital volume after enucleation or trauma.
• Traditional implants face challenges with vascularization and tissue integration.
• A need exists for improved orbital implant designs that promote better graft survival.

Observation:

• A new surgical technique constructs an orbital implant using two figure-eight-shaped dermis-fat grafts sutured into a baseball shape.
• Mule spheres are used for preplacement to determine the optimal implant size and ensure accurate fit.
• The baseball implant design strategically utilizes peripheral orbital fat, maximizing vascular supply and graft survival.

Findings:

• The baseball-shaped autogenous dermis-fat orbital implant demonstrates enhanced vascularization due to its dermal covering.
• This technique effectively eliminates deep orbital fat, which is typically distant from vascular supply.
• In a cohort of eight patients followed for up to 28 months, the baseball implants yielded highly satisfactory clinical outcomes.

Implications:

• This innovative implant construction technique offers a promising solution for orbital reconstruction.
• Improved graft vascularization and survival can lead to better long-term aesthetic and functional results for patients.
• The baseball implant represents a significant advancement in the field of orbital implantology and reconstructive surgery.