Dr. Sreya Biswas, Dr. Somnath Mukhopadhyay, Dr. Anirban Chakrabarti
Background-In India,DALK is performed for various indications in corneal blindness.The short and long term complications related to sutures,if not addressed in time can have profound effects on graft survival and final visual outcome.
Material and methods-Records of 62 patients who underwent DALK between April 2008 and March 2015 were reviewed.16 sutures each of 10-0Monofilament nylon(52 patients)and 8-0Polypropylene(10 patients)were used.Any obvious suture related complications were noted.Result-Occurrence rates were-loose sutures 15%,mucus deposits over suture 12.5%,suture erosions 10.8%,infiltration 9.4%,infectious keratitis 2.4%.
Conclusion-Infectious keratitis and wound gaping needing surgical repair may lead to loss of Best corrected visual acuity due to scarring,induced allograft reaction and increased astigmatism.Meticulous post-operative care and follow-ups that help in early identification and management of such complications will significantly add to the success rate DALK.