Posters

A comparison of the effect of two different forms of gels on corneal epithelial wound healing after pterygium surgery

Poster Details

First Author: A.Gencgonul TURKEY

Co Author(s):                  

Abstract Details

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to compare the corneal epithelial wound healing response of an ophthalmic gel containing sodium hyaluronate with xanthan gum in addition to the antibiotic netilmicin and fucıthalmıc gel in patients who underwent ptergiyum surgery

Setting:

Ankara Military Hospital in Ankara (Turkey)

Methods:

Patients who underwent ptergiyum surgery with travmatic corneal abrasions were randomly treated as follows:Group 1 (n=40) with an occlusive patching for 12 hoursplus one drop of an eye gel containing 0.15 % sodium hyalorunate, % 1 xanthan gum, and % 0.3 netilmicin gid for two days: Group 2 (n=40) with an occlusive patching 12 hours plus one drop application of fucithalmic gel qid for two days.Discomfort symptoms like pain, were also evaluated between two groups. All patients were on postoperative days 1,2 and first 12 hours by slit-lamp examination, fluorescein staining, and corneal defect photograph in order to assess corneal epitelial healing time .We compared 'routine' patching (24 to 48 hours) with short patching (12 hours), followed by a treatment with this two eye gels in patiens who underwent ptergiyum surgery.All patients' subjective discomfort symptoms like pain, were also evaluated between two groups.

Results:

Results were compared between two groups according to corneal epitelial wound healing time(12,24,48 hours) and the number of patients with ocular discomfort symptoms after ptergiyum surgery ,were also evaluated during follow up.In the present study,The mean corneal epitelial healing times were 24+-8 hours and 36+-12 hours in group 1 and 2 respectively.The numbers of patients who have ocular discomfort, during follow up were 40 +-11 and 40+-28 in group 1 and 2, respectively.The difference was clinically and statistically significant(p=0.001)

Conclusions:

Corneal abrasion is a defect of the corneal epithelial surface,with the patients who underwent ptergiyum surgery.It is characterized by acute ocular pain and other symptoms of discomfort affecting the quality of life of patients.Corneal abrasions with the ptergiyum surgery rarely become complicated, and in most cases a complete recovery occurs in few days according to therapy method.The aim of our study was to investigate the possibility of reducing the length of patching by using an eye gel that is able to both promote wound healing and reduce ocular discomforts.Here we report that the gel which has no preservative and contains two natural biopolymers (xanthan gum and sodium hyaluronate) in addition to netilmicin is more effective than simple antibiotic gel(fucithlamic)to reduce the corneal epithelial healing time and ocular discomforts in patients who underwent ptergiyum surgery. FINANCIAL INTEREST: NONE