The safety and applications of acellular human dermal allograft in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery: a preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the uses and determine the safety of a commercially available acellular dermal allograft in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery. The existing literature regarding current applications and results using acellular dermal allograft is reviewed.


METHODS
The study design was a retrospective, noncomparative case series. Participants consisted of 63 consecutive patients undergoing ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery using an acellular dermal matrix graft. The main intervention was placement of a dermal allograft. Outcome measures included the degree of clinical improvement and complications for each patient.


RESULTS
We used AlloDerm (LifeCell Corporation, The Woodlands, TX, U.S.A.) as a posterior lamellar conjunctival spacer graft, a soft tissue interpositional graft, and an orbital implant wrapping material. Clinical improvement was noted in all cases. There were no complications attributable to the acellular dermal matrix material.


CONCLUSIONS
We describe several novel ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgical applications using acellular dermal allograft tissue. This material may be used safely as a posterior lamellar conjunctival spacer graft, a soft tissue interpositional graft, and a wrapping material. Clinically, the allograft appears to be biocompatible, nontoxic, and nonallergenic in the orbit, eyelid, and midfacial tissues. Long-term data and studies comparing the efficacy of acellular dermal allograft with conventional materials are necessary.
Shorr
N
N
Division of Orbital and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, USA.
Perry
J D
JD
Goldberg
R A
RA
Hoenig
J
J
Shorr
J
J
D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000601:surgery*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009915:Orbit / Q000601:surgery*; D020273:Orbital Implants; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible