Comparison of Transconjunctival Releasable Sutures and Transcorneal Releasable Sutures in Trabeculectomy

ABSTRACT

Releasable suture was used to control anterior chamber depth and intraocular pressure during early postoperative period following trabeculectomy. Failure of releasable suture removal was due to entrapping of the tissue into suture knot or fibrosis between suture and surrounding tissues. Hence, the authors compared the failure rate of transconjunctival releasable suture and transcorneal releasable suture in trabeculectomy. The authors evaulated the 60 eyes of 60 patients undergoing trabeculectomy. Of these eyes, 30 eyes did not use Mitomycin C and transconjuctival releasable suture(15eyes) and transcorneal releasable suture(15eyes) at 2weeks after trabeculectomy, and the other 30 eyes used Mitomycin C and were removed transconjuctival releasable suture(15eyes) and transcorneal releasable suture(15eyes) removed at 4 weeks after trabeculectomy. With Mitomycin C, failure rate of releasable suture removal was 87% in transconjunctival releasable suture and 33% in transcorneal releasable suture. Without Mitomycin C, failure rate of releasable suture removal was 73% in transconjunctival releasable suture and 7% in transcorneal releasable suture. Recently, we have commonly used thin suture material such as 10-0 nylon and with use of antimetabolite let releasable suture was removed at late time. We suggest that transcorneal releasable suture can reduce the fibrosis of subconjunctival tissue and reaction between suture material and subconjunctival tissue.