Resuturing Following Penetrating Keratoplasty: A Retrospective Analysis

¹ Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Australia
² Centre for Eye Research of Australia, Australia
³ Centre for Eye Research Australia, Australia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rasikv{at}unimelb.edu.au.

Accepted 30 March 2008

	Abstract

Introduction: To study 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. 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%) as compared to 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%).

Discussion: Resuturing may have to be performed more commonly for corneal transplantation surgery done for microbial keratitis and keratoconus and, wound dehiscence and loose/broken sutures are its major indications.