Vicryl (polyglactin 910) in cataract surgery. A controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Materials Science

Background:

• Cataract surgery commonly uses non-absorbable sutures like monofilament nylon or virgin silk.
• The development of synthetic absorbable sutures offers potential advantages in wound closure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the safety and handling characteristics of a new synthetic absorbable suture (8-0 monofilament Vicryl) with conventional sutures in cataract operations.
• To evaluate early postoperative complications and intraoperative handling properties.

Main Methods:

• A controlled, randomized trial involving 45 cataract operations.
• Comparison of 8-0 monofilament Vicryl against 10-0 monofilament nylon and 8-0 virgin silk.
• Assessment of early complications (hyphaema, shallow anterior chamber, choroidal detachment) and suture handling qualities, including knot-tying.

Main Results:

• A higher incidence of early complications (15.4%) was observed with Vicryl compared to 0% with conventional sutures, though not statistically significant (p>0.05).
• Vicryl demonstrated superior handling qualities to nylon and silk, except for knot-tying, where it was inferior to virgin silk.

Conclusions:

• The synthetic absorbable suture Vicryl is a potentially useful option for cataract surgery.
• Further experience and modification of knot-tying techniques may mitigate the observed early complications.