title: Corneal astigmatism after cataract surgery.
abstract: 206 Consecutive cataract patients were at random divided into three groups according to the way the cataract incision was closed: virgin silk 8-0, interrupted nylon 9-0, and double running nylon 9-0. The nylon, whether interrupted or continuous, yielded in the majority of cases a postoperative astigmatism with the rule, whereas virgin silk caused in nearly all patients a postoperative astigmatism against the rule and therefore behaved like an absorbable suture. Silk is chemically non-absorbable, but in virgin silk a natural worm-produced polymer is still present, which provokes a tissue reaction. Softening of tissue diminishes the tensile strength of the suture. With respect to the postoperative astigmatism, the suture material (nylon or virgin silk) seems a more important factor than the way in which it is used (interrupted or continuous).
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Dekkers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buijs
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008297:Male; D009757:Nylons / Q000009:adverse effects; D011506:Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D047011:Silk; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013537:Sutures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D009757:Nylons; D011506:Proteins; D047011:Silk