Long-term Survival of Corneal Sutures: Mersilene vs Nylon

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term survival of mersilene corneal sutures and compare it with nylon. STUDY DESIGN: Recall of patients from a randomized study of cataract extraction, after a minimum interval of 2 years following surgery. SETTING: Teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Patients who underwent uncomplicated extra-capsular cataract extraction with lens implantation by a single surgeon through a corneal incision closed with mersilene or nylon. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptoms attributable to the corneal suture, presence of giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) and condition of the suture. RESULTS: All 16 eligible patients in the mersilene group and 16 (80%) of the nylon group were reviewed. The two groups were similar in age, sex distribution and time from surgery. In the nylon group, three patients were symptomatic and one had GPC, compared to none in the mersilene group. All of the mersilene sutures were intact, compared to only four (25%) of the nylon group (P = 0.00002). All four of the intact nylon sutures showed visible evidence of degradation whilst none of the mersilene sutures did (P = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: Mersilene corneal sutures have a significantly better long-term survival than nylon. Mersilene should be the preferred material for wound closure following cataract surgery.