Resuturing following penetrating keratoplasty: a retrospective analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the clinical profile of cases requiring resuturing following penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) at a tertiary care eye hospital.


METHODS
The medical records of 947 consecutive patients who had undergone PKP between 1998 and 2006 were reviewed retrospectively and cases that were resutured during this period were analysed. The main parameters studied were indications for PKP, suturing techniques, causes of resuturing, visual acuity outcome and post-resuturing complications.


RESULTS
The incidence of resuturing was 5.4% (51 eyes). The number of cases requiring resuturing was higher in corneal grafts performed for microbial keratitis (12%) than those for keratoconus (10%) and corneal endothelial decompensation (2.5%; p = 0.08). Wound dehiscence was the leading cause for resuturing (43%), followed by loose or broken sutures (37.3%). The most common complications after resuturing were occurrence of microbial keratitis (7.8%) and graft failure (5.9%).


CONCLUSIONS
Resuturing may have to be performed more commonly for corneal transplantation surgery done for microbial keratitis and keratoconus. The major indications for resuturing are wound dehiscence and loose/broken sutures.
Jeganathan
S V
SV
Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Ghosh
S
S
Jhanji
V
V
Lamoureux
E
E
Taylor
H R
HR
Vajpayee
R B
RB
D004868:Equipment Failure; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000601:surgery; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007634:Keratitis / Q000601:surgery; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000601:surgery; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D012086:Reoperation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000601:surgery; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000009:adverse effects; D013537:Sutures; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity