Abstract
Abstract Purpose In epiretinal prosthesis surgery the fixation of the implant on the retina is generally performed with retinal tacks in order to achieve a firm and a sufficiently close attachment to the ganglion cells. However, this fixation does not allow the removal of the implant without potentially causing major trauma. We therefore developed a new fixation method for the implant with the goal of enabling a safe and less traumatic explantation procedure. Methods We implanted an inactive epiretinal device consisting of a polyimide strip and a calotte in 11 Göttinger minipigs. The concept of the new fixation method is to implant the tack first and fixate the implant on the tack with a silicone tube by using a special instrument developed for this purpose. Thus the implant is firmly attached to the retina and removal can be performed by simply splitting the silicone tube and lifting the implant from the tack while the tack remains in place. Results All animals were implanted successfully without major complications. At the end of the observation periods the retinal tack and the silicone tube fixating the implant on the tack were still in position. The explantation procedure was accomplished easily and without any complications. Conclusion This new implantation method ensures a firm fixation of the implant whilst also allowing explantation without trauma to the posterior eye segment.
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