A modified symblepharon ring for sutureless amniotic membrane patch to treat acute ocular surface burns

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Acute ocular burns pose significant risks to vision.
• Conventional treatments for severe ocular burns often involve amniotic membrane (AM) transplantation, typically secured with sutures.
• Suturing can lead to complications and prolonged healing times.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a sutureless technique for AM patch fixation in acute ocular burns.
• To compare the outcomes of the sutureless AM patch method with conventional sutured AM patches.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 75 patients with acute ocular burns (Grades III-VI).
• Patients were randomized into two groups: sutureless AM patch with a modified symblepharon ring (39 eyes) and conventional sutured AM patch (36 eyes).
• Key outcome measures included operation time, time to epithelial closure, epithelialization rate, corneal neovascularization, and complications like symblepharon and conjunctival sac contraction.

Main Results:

• The sutureless group demonstrated significantly shorter operation times and faster epithelial closure compared to the suture group (P < .01).
• Higher re-epithelialization rates were observed in the sutureless group (P < .05).
• Lower rates of corneal neovascularization and symblepharon were recorded in the sutureless group (P < .05). Conjunctival sac contraction occurred later in the sutureless group for severe burns (P < .05).

Conclusions:

• The modified sutureless AM patch technique is a simple, minimally invasive, and effective treatment for acute ocular burns.
• This approach reduces operative trauma and improves healing outcomes compared to conventional suturing.
• The sutureless method shows promise for enhanced patient recovery and reduced complication rates in managing ocular surface injuries.