ANTERIOR SEGMENT PROSTHESIS DEVELOPMENT - RETINAL FUNCTION FOLLOWING ANTERIOR SEGMENT REMOVAL

Replacement of the entire anterior segment of the eye is a very ambiti ous and complex endeavor and it is not known whether the retina remain s functional when the anterior structures have been removed. We used r outine histopathologic evaluation and electroretinographic measurement s to determine the structural and functional status of rabbit retinas following surgical removal of the internal anterior structures (iris, ciliary body, and lens) and replacement of the vitreous with silicone oil. In some cases, we were able to record both a scotopic and a photo pic electroretinographic response as long as 15 weeks after complete r emoval of the internal anterior segment structures. Although many hurd les remain and more efficacious surgical techniques and biomaterials n eed to be developed, our results suggest that, in the rabbit, the reti na may continue to function in the absence of critical anterior segmen t structures.