In situ degradation of 11/0 polyester (mersilene) suture material following cataract surgery

Two hundred and ten patients (231 eyes) had their cataract sections closed with 11/0 polyester suture material over a 4 year period. Their case sheets were assessed to determine the number of eyes from which sutures had been removed prior to discharge, and for what reasons these sutures were removed. Ninety-seven patients (107 eyes) with sutures left in situ were further assessed to determine whether they were suffering from any suture-related symptoms and examined to determine the degree of clinical biodegradation experienced by the sutures. Six of these sutures were removed for electron microscopic examination. Of the 231 eyes initially included, 61 sutures (26.4%) had been removed prior to discharge. None of the 107 sutures examined showed evidence of clinical biodegradation; this was confirmed by electron microscopic analysis which showed only minimal erosion of sutures even after 48 months in situ.