Scleral reinforcement in progressive myopia and intraoperative ultrasound control of the cadaver fascia lata strip.

Scleral reinforcement (sustentaculum sclerae) is one of the operations against myopia. During the progression of myopia the eye grows. The chorioretinal layer can only moderately follow the expansion of the sclera, and mostly this is the cause of the complications that can cause permanent visual acuity decrease. The aim of the operation is to strengthen the posterior part of the sclera by implantation of a cadaver fascia lata strip, that slows down or stops the expansion of the eyeball, and this way prevents the development of complications. At our Department we perform the Snyder-Thompson technique. Between 1984 and 1994 343 operations were performed at our Department. We followed up the changes of the axial lengths by ultrasound (A-mode) examinations. The axial length decreased in 43.7% remained unchanged in 22.2% and increased in 34.1% of the cases. We controlled the location of the strip intra- and postoperatively with B-mode ultrasound. Nowadays scleral reinforcement is still the only possibility to stop or slow down the expansion of the eyeball in cases of progressive high myopia.