Closure of retinal breaks requires creation of chorioretinal adhesion around each break with either laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy followed by intraocular tamponade with gas or silicone oil. When gases are used, patients must keep their head in a face down position for 2 weeks after surgery. This causes considerable discomfort in most patients, and not uncommonly, is the most difficult hurdle in post-operative management. Additionally, gas is associated with ocular complications including cataract and glaucoma. Silicone oil has the advantage that the patient is not required to position face down for more that one day post-operatively. However, unlike gas, which is slowly reabsorbed into the blood stream, silicone must be surgically removed from the eye as a secondary procedure to prevent similar ocular complications. To address these problems, Calhoun Vision, Inc. is developing, evaluating, and refining biodegradable polymers for the closure of retinal breaks. In the proposed research we will optimize non-toxic polymer formulations that can close retinal breaks in an experimental system. We will assess the toxicity, duration of attachment to the retinal, and effectiveness of several polymer formulations. Polymer composition will be varied to achieve the optimal non-toxic biodegradable polymer formulation.
