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Method developed to assess postoperative leak rates of clear corneal incisions
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CHICAGO — Eye rubbing, sneezing or forced blinking may cause IOP fluctuations that can challenge the integrity of clear corneal incisions in the early postoperative period, a speaker said here.
“Still, no standard method exists for simulating these forces in a reproducible and quantifiable way for the purpose of research. We sought to develop such a method, validating it against the forces documented in the published literature,” John A. Hovanesian, MD, FACS, said at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.
In three separate studies, change in IOP with standardized force application, leak rates in clear corneal incisions after stromal hydration, and leak rates in clear corneal incisions after suturing were evaluated using a calibrated force gauge (Ocular Therapeutix). Placing the foot of the applicator near the clear corneal incision on the sclera side of the wound, Dr. Hovanesian and colleagues applied up to 1 ounce of pressure to challenge the incision closure.
“Once we developed and validated this device and technique, we found, not surprisingly, that three-fourths of corneal wounds ‘sealed’ with stromal hydration were prone to leak when challenged with forces that mimic forceful blinking or rubbing the eye. Even sutured wounds had small leaks in one of four cases under these real-world circumstances.” Dr. Hovanesian said.
- Disclosure: Dr. Hovanesian has a financial relationship with Ocular Therapeutix.