A suture technique for the management of conjunctival wound leakage

ABSTRACT

The conjunctival wound leakage that occurs often afterglaucoma filtering surgery may predispose to the development of hypotony, infection, and bleb failure, so primary resuturing is tried to prevent them usually. Recently, because of the friable conjunctiva due to the use of mitomycin C(MMC) during the glaucoma filtering surgery, re-leakage is frequent after resuturing. We thought of the method that compress the leaking site without direct injury to leaking conjunctival wound and tried to the 4 patients, 6 eyes with the conjunctival wound leakage who had received the MMC trabeculectomy with fornix based conjunctival flap. We performed the suture posterior to the leaking sithe across the conjunctival flap with the nonabsorbing suture material after local anesthesia for the block of leakage due to the compression. Postoperatively, the sutures were removed at the time of no leakage and complete healing at conjunctival wound. And we had a good results in all 6 eyes in recent 2 years. The method of compression using this suture is one adequate method of management in conjunctival wound leakage after glaucoma filtering surgery.