Persistence of indentation with bioabsorbable poly-L/D-lactide versus silicone sponge scleral buckling implants.

PURPOSE To measure the amount and duration of indentation depth achieved with biodegradable poly-L/D-lactide 96/4 (PLA96) and silicone sponge implants. METHODS Thirty rabbits underwent a scleral buckling procedure. A PLA96 buckling implant was used in 15 rabbits and a silicone sponge buckling implant was in 15 rabbits. A circumferential scleral buckling implant was sutured episclerally on the left eye of each rabbit, just temporal to the superior rectus muscle and 7 mm posterior to the limbus. Computed tomography was performed at 1 week, 3 months, and 5 months after surgery. RESULTS The PLA96 buckling implant (implant diameter, 3-3.5 mm) used in this study created lower indentation than the silicone sponge implant (implant diameter, 4 mm). The indentation created by the PLA96 implant decreased over time compared with that created by the silicone implant. There were no complications related to either kind of implant. CONCLUSION Both the silicone sponge implant and the PLA96 implant caused indentation that decreased in a comparable manner over the follow-up period (5 months).