Lateral tarsorrhaphy: is it preferable to patching?

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of lateral tarsorrhaphy for the management of postkeratoplasty epithelial defects.

Method: Thirty-six patients with persistent postkeratoplasty epithelial defects that did not heal despite topical medical therapy for a period of 96 hours were treated with either a lateral tarsorrhaphy (18 patients) or with tight patching (18 patients). All patients were evaluated daily by slit-lamp examination until complete reepithelialization occurred.

Results: The epithelial healing was significantly faster (7.61+/-0.91 days vs. 12.6+/-1.61 days, p<0.5) in the lateral tarsorrhaphy group. Further, the patients with lateral tarsorrhaphies were significantly more comfortable when compared with those of the patching group (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Lateral tarsorrhaphy provides quick symptomatic relief and faster corneal epithelial defect healing. Therefore, it may be of benefit in cases of postkeratoplasty persistent epithelial defects.