Polyester sutures should be removed in cases of corneal vascularization after congenital cataract surgery

Mersilene sutures should be removed in patients who develop corneal vascularization during the first postoperative months after congenital cataract surgery, a retrospective study by researchers in Israel suggests.

"Owing to the risk of general anesthesia and infection, suture removal should be considered with caution in cases of postoperative astigmatism," the authors said.

Shai M. Bar-Sela, MD, and colleagues at Tel Aviv University evaluated the use of 10-0 polyester (Mersilene) sutures for closure of a small corneal incision after congenital cataract surgery and IOL implantation were performed on 58 eyes of 42 patients.

The researchers examined suture-related complications and obtained retinoscopy measurements at 1 week postop and at 1-month increments over 6 months.

Sutures were removed in cases of local tissue reaction, but not in cases of high postoperative astigmatism, the authors noted.

Mean patient age was 3.5 years in patients who had suture removal and 4.4 years in patients who did not have sutures removed.

Over 6 months of follow-up, 10 cases (17%) developed corneal vascularization that necessitated suture removal without the trigger of loose suture, the authors reported.

At 1 week postop, the astigmatism value was 1.7 D in eyes that had suture removal and 2.3 D in eyes that did not. The astigmatism value was reduced to 0.9 D in both groups at 6 months postop, the authors noted.

"One case of endophthalmitis was encountered 2 days after suture removal," the authors said.

The study is published in the January/February issue of European Journal of Ophthalmology.