Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) lubricant facilitates insertion of porous spherical orbital implants

The insertion of an orbital implant in the posterior Tenon's space or in the eviscerated sclera must be smooth, without entrapment or dragging of adjacent soft tissue. Anterior Tenon's fascia and conjunctiva must be closed without undue tension that could lead to subsequent postoperative implant exposure. Current methods to prevent tissue drag include passing the implant via a cut "thumb" from a surgeon's glove, the use of a prepackaged rigid plastic funnel, or a specialized orbital implant introducing forceps, e.g., Carter sphere injector. We recommend also coating the porous implant with an inert semisynthetic viscoelastic polymer, thus enabling easy placement. We illustrate this in a typical case.