Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate the most preferred materials used by pediatric ophthalmologists for frontalis suspensions in the pediatric population.
Methods :
An online questionnaire was submitted to members of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS). Data was collected through an internet survey database.
Results :
85 respondents completed the survey. Most respondents preferred silicone rod (36.11%), followed by autologous fascia lata (19.44%), various suture types (18.06%), other materials (12.50%), preserved fascia lata (8.33%), and Gore-tex (5.56%) (Figure 1). Most respondents (82%) perform 10 or less frontalis suspensions each year, and those surgeons prefer silicone rod. Silicone rod and suture are the most preferred material in patients 3 years-old or younger. Along with silicone rod, autologous fascia lata was also considered in patients over 3 years of age (Figure 2). However, only 31% of respondents reported that a patient’s specific age influences their decision about which material to use in this population.
Conclusions :
In general, silicone rod is the most preferred material for frontalis slings in pediatric patients among AAPOS members. Silicone rod remains the dominantly preferred material in all specific age ranges for all surgeons, but autologous fascia lata becomes more often considered in pediatric patients older than 3 years of age. While small retrospective studies have investigated different methods for frontalis suspensions, prospective studies directly comparing different materials are suggested.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.