A SIMPLE APPOSITIONAL SUTURE FOR USE IN OPERATIONS FOR CATARACT

Abstract

The effect of corneoscleral sutures in reducing the complications following operations for cataract has been demonstrated by many competent ophthalmic surgeons. These sutures may be classified into four main types: (1) sutures placed before the eyeball has been opened; (2) sutures anchored before the globe has been incised, and completed after the incision; (3) sutures placed after a keratome incision or after a short incision made with the Graefe knife, before the opening has been enlarged, and (4) sutures placed after the incision has been completed. The ideal corneoscleral sutures are those which exactly approximate the wound edges, i.e., appositional sutures. Appositional sutures placed before the operative incision into the eyeball have been described by Verhoeff¹ and by McLean.² The latter author, after reviewing the literature, reported a modification of the suture originally described by Suarez de Mendoza in 1892 and reintroduced with variations by Lindner in 1938.