Histologic effect of mitomycin C on strabismus surgery in the rabbit

PURPOSE. TO evaluate the efficiency of mitomycin C (MMC) in limiting the po stoperative inflammatory response and scarring after strabismus surgery. METHODS. A prospective, two-stage, masked, controlled trial was conducted. In the first stage, the inflammatory response at the extraocular muscle rea ttachment site was increased after inferior rectus recession in eight rabbi ts. In the second stage, MMC (0.4 mg/ml) was applied during surgery to the eyes of 22 rabbits with inferior rectus recession. As a control, contralate ral eyes were treated with saline solution. Seven weeks later, exenteration was performed, and the sites of muscle reattachment were processed for his tologic examinations. The sums of the areas of the granulomas in the extrao cular muscle reattachment sires of control and treated eyes were compared. RESULTS. There was no significant inhibitory effect of MMC on the inflammat ory response of treated eyes compared with that of control eyes. CONCLUSIONS. The intraoperative use of MMC (0.4 mg/ml) was not effective in controlling the postoperative inflammatory response in rabbit eyes after e xtraocular muscle surgery. These data do not support the hypothesis that MM C reduces postoperative adhesions after strabismus surgery.