L.V. Prasad Eye hospital in Hyderabad has performed India’s first inflatable orbital implant surgery on a one year child, born with only one eye.

Taking one more step ahead in the eye care (ophthalmic) research, L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) has pioneered the implantation of Inflatable Orbital Tissue Expander (IOTE) for the first time in India. With this, the institute can now offer solutions to thousands of children suffering from Congenital Anophthalmia across the country.

Congenital anophthalmia, is a case where the eyeball is absent since birth, which gives rise to gross under-development of facial bones around the eye. Designed by the doctors in Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, this special implant (IOTE) is fixed to one of the bony walls with special plate and screws. The ‘ball’ component stays in the natural position of the absent eyeball, and can be gradually inflated with saline injections at regular intervals, similar to inflating a balloon. With this new development, those afflicted with congenital anophthalmia can have symmetrical bony facial growth and will be able to lead a normal life.

With the commencement of this new IOTE implantation surgery, the patients suffering from Congenital Anophthalmia can get rid of the problems of asymmetric facial bone growth, leading to a significant cosmetic deformity in adult life. Earlier, though an artificial eye could be placed in the deformed area but there was no treatment available till date to stimulate the bony growth in the most natural manner. Now, the new implant, it allows the proper growth of skull bones around the eyeball and keeps the face normal without becoming distorted.

Dr Tarjani Dave, Consultant, Socket Services and Ocularistry, Department of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, L V Prasad Eye institute said, “Treating this child with unilateral congenital anophthalmia and bony socket contracture with Orbital Tissue Expander was a major achievement for us at L V Prasad Eye Institute. Anophthalmic socket is a challenge to treat. The premise of implanting an Orbital Tissue Expander is that you take care of the socket contracture before "bone amblyopia”, in order to effectively expand the socket. Hence these interventions are best done in infancy, as it mimicks natural growth of an eyeball, thereby allowing adequate and symmetrical bone growth.”  

Congratulating the team, Dr Gullapalli N Rao, Founder and Chair, L V Prasad Eye Institute said, “We look forward to many path breaking achievements at the Institute.  Let’s hope this case will be a yet another stepping stone to many successes in the future.”

L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) has collaboration with Bascom Palmer Eye Institute for the treatment of babies with congenital anophthalmia. LVPEI has dedicated services for anophthalmic socket with the entire spectrum of treatment being offered to patients. Equipped with an excellent prosthesis lab with world class machinery for making prosthetic eyes, the Institute has a dedicated anophthalmia clinic run for such patients on Mondays.