Abstract: Salivary gland transplant (for dry anophthalmic cavity)

Betcha didn't know you can have dry eye even without eyes. - Every once in a long while I speak with someone who has an artificial eye and struggles to find effective lubricants, so I was tempted to post this study in case any of them happen to read my bulletins.

[Treatment of dry anophthalmic cavities with labial salivary glands transplantation].
[Article in Portuguese]

PURPOSE:
To study the clinical effects of labial salivary glands' secretion used as ocular lubricant in anophthalmic cavities with severe xerophthalmia; to evaluate the evolution of the results; and to present the surgical technique. This procedure application in dry anophthalmic cavities is new in the literature.

METHODS:
Prospective study of patients presenting anophthalmic cavities with severe xerophthalmia and conjunctival fornix retraction treated with labial salivary glands transplantation to the conjunctival fornices. The surgeries were performed in five patients during the period of July 2000 to January 2009. In two cases the fornix retraction was previously treated with mucosa or skin graft. The surgical procedure technique is described in details. The postoperative comparative analysis was based on the clinical picture, the cavity surface aspect, the dryness of the cavity and prosthesis and the frequency of lubricant eye drops use.

RESULTS:
In all cases both graft integration and improvement of the evaluated parameters were observed. The evolution proved the persistence and stability of the results.

CONCLUSION:
The salivary secretion produced by the transplanted labial glands proved to be efficient as conjunctival lubricant, well tolerated and permanent, making the use of the prosthesis more comfortable. This improvement helps to prevent the progression of the cavity retraction process. Labial salivary glands graft into the anophtalmic cavity is a simple procedure and accessible to any ophthalmic surgeon.

Arq Bras Oftalmol. 2011 Dec;74(6):425-9.
França IS, Medrado J, França VP, Soares EJ.
Source
Centro Oftalmológico de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.