Full-thickness eye wall resection: an experimental approach for treatment of choroidal melanoma. I. Dacron-graft.

To overcome the problems of surgical treatment of tumors of the posterior segment, we have developed a ring-shaped instrument. This is sutured to the sclera or the area ivhere resection should be performed. Besides stabilizing the operative area, the two side arms of the instrument prevent collapse of the eyeball. The fidl-thickness eye wall resection i? performed with the cutting needle of the cautery. The resected area is replaced with a silicon-coated dacron patch which is glued to the sclera by a-cyanoacrylate. The experimental work was done on rabbits. The encouraging preliminary results of this study are reported: