The posterior auricular muscle complex graft as a porous orbital implant wrap: long-term follow-up over a 31-year period

Purpose: Orbital implant exposures, infections, and extrusions can occur many years following enucleation or evisceration. This study analyzes complication rates following porous orbital implant wrapped with a posterior auricular muscle complex graft (PAMCG). Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent orbital implantation following enucleation using this technique between 1992 and 2013. Only cases with a minimum of 18 months of follow-up were included. No patients underwent peg implantation. Patient’s demographics, follow-up time, type of implant, complications including wound dehiscence, exposure, postoperative infection, and extrusion were recorded. Results: This study included 36 orbits of 36 patients with a mean age of 39.3 ± 23.2 years (range, 3–84 years). Thirty patients had hydroxyapatite implants and six had porous polyethylene. The average follow-up time was 12.6 ± 5.6 years (range, 1.5–31.0 years). There were no implant extrusions, and only one exposure resulting in orbital infection that necessitated implant removal (2.8%). Conclusion: Wrapping porous orbital implants with PAMCG had favorable long-term outcomes over a thirty-one-year period.