Clinical Analysis of the Size of the Orbital Implant and Prosthesis in Eviscerated Patients

Purpose: This study evaluated whether the axial length of the fellow eye measured by A-scan biometry can be utilized for selecting the proper size of the orbital implant. Methods: Thirty four eyes of 34 adult patients who had undergone eviscerations between March 2000 and May 2002 were included. We measured the axial length of the fellow eyes by A-scan preoperatively. Postoperatively, the central thickness and volume of ocular prosthesis were measured to determine the ideal size of prosthesis. Results: Average diameter of the fellow eyes was 22.6mm. Average difference in diameter between the fellow eyes and orbital implants was 1.8mm among eyes with 20-22 mm in adults, and 3.8mm among eyes with 22-24mm. Average central thickness of the ocular prosthesis was 6.47 mm, and average volume was 2.2 ml. Complications occurred in 4 cases, and 2 of those cases were corrected by operations. Conclusions: Preoperative measurement of the diameter of the fellow eye using A-scan ultrasonography can be useful in selecting the size of the orbital implant before evisceration in adult patients. It also helped the selection of the proper sized ocular prosthesis and the prevention of many postoperative complications.