The bioceramic implant: evaluation of implant exposures in 419 implants.

Purpose: To compare the rate of exposure in the immediate 3-month postoperative follow-up period with the rate of exposure after the immediate postoperative period in 419 anophthalmic patients with a bioceramic (aluminum oxide) orbital implant.

Methods: This is a retrospective, clinical case series of 419 patients who received a bioceramic orbital implant. All patients who presented to five oculofacial surgeons (D.J., S.G., J.D., S.K., L.M.) from January 1, 2000, to June 1, 2007, who received a bioceramic orbital implant and had a minimum of 3 months of follow-up were included in this study. The authors analyzed age, gender, type of surgery, implant size, peg system, follow-up duration, time of pegging, and problems encountered. The data from the patients with greater than 3 months of follow-up with exposure of the bioceramic implant are detailed in this report.

Results: There were 353 patients followed for 3 to 96 months with an average of 30 months of follow-up (median 23 months). Implant exposure occurred in 32/353 bioceramic implants (9.1%). Six of the 32 (19%) exposures occurred during the 90-day postoperative period (average 2.1 months). Twenty-six (81%) exposures occurred outside of the 90-day postoperative period (average 27.5 months, range 4-82 months).

Conclusions: Implant exposures can occur anytime postimplant placement. This review discovered an implant exposure rate of 9.1%, with the majority of the exposures occurring after the postoperative follow-up period. Patients with porous orbital implants should be followed on a long-term basis to detect this complication.