ENCAPSULATION OF SCLERAL BUCKLING MATERIALS - A STUDY OF 60 SPECIMENS

Objective: The purpose of the study was to obtain information on the e ncapsulation of two nonabsorbable biomaterials (silicone and hydrogel) used as explants in scleral buckling in retinal detachment surgery. D esign: The study design was a histopathologic study on a cohort of cap sule fractions and complete eyes. Participants: Fifty-nine patients pa rticipated in this study, in which 60 specimens, including 37 hydrogel and 21 silicone capsule specimens as well as 2 whole eyes, were gathe red. There were no control subjects. Intervention: The capsule specime ns were obtained from eyes operated on previously for scleral buckling for retinal detachment. The two whole eyes were enucleated. All speci mens were studied with routine optic microscopy. Main Outcome Measures : Patient characteristics, type of scleral buckling, and number of ope rations performed were analyzed. Histologically, the capsular structur e, its interface with the explant, and its different components also w ere studied. Remnants of the buckling material also were investigated. Results: There were 45 male and 14 female patients, with a mean age o f 49 years. Histologically, capsule specimens had a fibrous matrix wit h fibroblasts and few inflammatory cells. Eighteen (48.6%) of 37 hydro gel capsule specimens displayed hydrogel fragments surrounded by a for eign body giant cell granuloma in 16 cases. Conclusion: Nonabsorbable materials undergo encapsulation after implantation on the eye surface. Giant cell granuloma was observed in some hydrogel capsule specimens in relation to hydrogel fragmentation. The exact origin of this fragme ntation remains unknown.