Chondrocutaneous auricular graft for reconstruction of ocular socket in anophthalmic cavities.

In addition to the emotional suffering after the removal of an eye, various problems can occur so that reconstruction of an anophthalmic cavity becomes difficult. The objective of reconstruction is to increase the depth of the conjunctival fornix to secure and support a prosthesis. Nine patients operated on during 2008 and 2009 in the Craniofacial Division of the Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa in São Paulo were evaluated retrospectively with the operative technique described in this article. The application of the technique described for reconstruction of the eyelid fornix achieved a high success rate regarding the ability to use an ocular prosthesis and a high rate of patient satisfaction in this small study sample.