Rubber silicone injections.

Abstract

Various materials have been used to replace lost anatomic parts and for the repair of deformities. In 1953 Scales 1 outlined the properties of an ideal soft-tissue substitute. These properties are as follows: (1) not physically modified by tissue fluid, (2) chemically inert, (3) no inflammatory reaction, (4) nonallergenic, (5) noncarcinogenic, (6) capable of resisting mechanical strains, (7) capable of being sterilized, (8) capable of fabrication into any form. The list of such soft-tissue substitutes is a long one. In ophthalmology such materials have ranged from heavy metals to glass and plastic. Sponge implants have been used in enucleation and evisceration, solid silicone rubber in retinal detachment surgery, and polyethylene and silicone tubing in the repair of the lacrimal drainage system. Teflon has been used to repair orbital floor defects in blow-out fractures. In the case presented here, silicone rubber (Liquid Silastic*) is the soft-tissue substitute. Silicone rubbers (in the