Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 27, 2025
Author Spotlight: A Novel Protocol for Intracameral Injections to Enhance Precision in Rodent Ophthalmology
Published on: May 31, 2024
Comparative Analysis of Safety and Feasibility of Suture Versus Sutureless Pediatric Cataract Surgery
Insights
Sutureless cataract surgery in children is as safe and feasible as sutured surgery, potentially reducing astigmatism and amblyopia risk. Sutures are only needed for compromised incisions.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Congenital and developmental cataracts in children require surgical intervention.
- Clear corneal cataract surgery is a common procedure.
- Suturing techniques for corneal incisions can be associated with complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the safety, feasibility, and outcomes of clear corneal cataract surgery with or without sutures in pediatric patients.
- To evaluate wound leakage, complications, and refractive outcomes in two pediatric cataract surgery closure methods.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 170 eyes of children aged 2-8 years with cataracts.
- Comparison of suture closure versus sutureless hydroclosure for clear corneal incisions.
- Postoperative evaluation at 1, 7, 30, and 90 days, focusing on wound integrity and complications.
Main Results:
- No wound leakage was observed in either the suture or sutureless hydroclosure groups.
- Shallow anterior chamber and hypotony were rare and comparable between groups.
- The sutureless group showed significantly less mean cylindrical error (astigmatism) at 1 month post-surgery.
- One case of endophthalmitis occurred in the suture group after suture removal.
Conclusions:
- Sutureless hydroclosure is a safe and effective alternative to suturing for pediatric cataract surgery.
- This technique avoids suture-related complications and reduces postoperative astigmatism, potentially lowering the risk of amblyopia.
- Sutures remain necessary for compromised incision architectures.
Purpose:
To compare the safety, feasibility, and outcomes of clear corneal cataract surgery with or without sutures in children (2 to 8 years old) with congenital or developmental cataracts.
Methods:
One hundred seventy consecutive eligible eyes with pediatric cataracts were randomized into treatment groups depending on closure of clear corneal incisions: suture group and sutureless hydroclosure group (sutureless group). Patients were evaluated on days 1, 7, 30, and 90 postoperatively, with an emphasis on wound leakage from incisions and complications.
Results:
Wound leakage from any corneal incisions was not observed in both groups. Shallow anterior chamber on the first postoperative day was observed in 2 and 3 eyes in the suture and sutureless groups, respectively (P = .48). Hypotony was not observed in any patients. Intraocular pressure measurements were comparable on follow-up visits (P > .05). Mean cylindrical error was significantly greater (P = .03) in the suture group than the sutureless group (1.01 and 0.74 diopters, respectively) after 1 month. One patient developed endophthalmitis after suture removal in the suture group.
Conclusions:
Sutureless hydroclosure of incisions is not inferior compared to suturing in pediatric cataracts. This avoids suture-related complications while reducing the astigmatic error and is thus potentially less amblyogenic. However, sutures must be used whenever the incision architecture is compromised. [.
More Related Videos
09:00Application of Straight-needle, Three-tailed, Knot-free, Peritoneal Sutures in Laparoscopic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Hernia Repair
Published on: November 12, 2021
05:19Author Spotlight: Unraveling the Molecular Mechanisms in PCO and Fibrosis Following Cataract Surgery
Published on: December 1, 2023