title: Releasable suture technique for trabeculectomy.
abstract: We studied the effect of the releasable suture technique on immediate postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP). Nine eyes of nine patients with glaucoma had trabeculectomy with a releasable suture. In the six eyes that did not receive antimitotics, the suture was released by the fifth postoperative day; in the others suture release was delayed up to the fourteenth day. Of the nine patients, one had an acceptable postoperative IOP and did not need suture release; in another the suture broke and could not be released. In the remaining seven patients, the difference between the pre-release and post-release IOP was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The complications of this technique include failed suture release, subconjunctival hematoma and a distinctive "windshield wiper" keratopathy.
authors.affiliation: Schell Eye Hospital, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mathai
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Gieser
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raju
mesh_terms: D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D014130:Trabeculectomy / Q000379:methods*