[Potentialities of conservative and surgical treatment of patients with congenital microphthalmia and anophthalmia].

Congenital anophthalmia and microphthalmia were responsible for 1.7-1.8% cases of all cases treated at laboratory of plastic surgery and ocular prostheses. Clinical picture of the condition is described. The philosophy of rehabilitation of patients with congenital anophthalmia and microphthalmia is as follows: 1) no operations during the first years of life; 2) early staged fitting with prostheses; 3) surgical treatment in older age, when the resources of conservative extension of the cavity are exhausted. The authors emphasize that active conservative treatment should be preferred. Method for nonsurgical extension of the conjunctival cavity by staged insertion of prostheses is described. Positive and negative aspects of surgical treatments are discussed. The authors emphasize that surgical activity in early age is extremely harmful. Results of surgical treatment of 27 patients are presented. The patients were divided into 2 groups differing by the tasks of surgery: repair of consequences of previous operations (59.2% cases) and typical correction of the eye lids (40.8%). Clinical examples are offered.