Primary and secondary implants in the anophthalmic orbit. Preoperative and postoperative computed tomographic appearance.

Sagittal computed tomographic (CT) scans of 10 anophthalmic orbits with a primary implant, an acrylic ball covered with donor sclera, and 10 anophthalmic orbits before and after insertion of a secondary implant were studied. For each patient, the scans of the anophthalmic and contralateral normal orbit were compared. In the anophthalmic orbits, the anatomy was optimally restored in those with a primary implant, and suboptimal results were achieved in the orbits with a secondary implant. The greatest differences were noticed in the orbits without an implant. Differences were noticed for the position and length of the superior muscle complex and the inferior rectus muscle, the position of the upper eyelid, the depth of the superior sulcus, and the backward tilt of the prosthesis. The authors conclude that the rotatory displacement of the orbital contents after enucleation, which explains the sequelae of the anophthalmic orbit, is grossly circumvented by the insertion of an implant. In achieving this effect, primary implants are better than secondary ones.