The posterior auricular muscle complex graft as a porous orbital implant wrap: long-term follow-up over a 31-year period

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Orbital implant exposures, infections, and extrusions can occur many years following enucleation or evisceration. This study analyzes complication rates following porous orbital implant wrapped with a posterior auricular muscle complex graft (PAMCG).

Methods

This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent orbital implantation following enucleation using this technique between 1992 and 2013. Only cases with a minimum of 18 months of follow-up were included. No patients underwent peg implantation. Patient’s demographics, follow-up time, type of implant, complications including wound dehiscence, exposure, postoperative infection, and extrusion were recorded.

Results

This study included 36 orbits of 36 patients with a mean age of 39.3 ± 23.2 years (range, 3–84 years). Thirty patients had hydroxyapatite implants and six had porous polyethylene. The average follow-up time was 12.6 ± 5.6 years (range, 1.5–31.0 years). There were no implant extrusions, and only one exposure resulting in orbital infection that necessitated implant removal (2.8%).

Conclusion

Wrapping porous orbital implants with PAMCG had favorable long-term outcomes over a thirty-one-year period.

KEYWORDS:

• Porous orbital implant
• hydroxyapatite
• posterior auricular
• retroauricular
• exposure

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Charles Reeder, M.D., and Claire Reeder for the creation of Figure 1.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.