Corneal Complications After Retinal Surgery: A Retrospective Review Of Cases Operated At National University Of Malaysia Hospital

1. Amin Ahem
2. Malisa Ami
3. Mushawiahti Mustapha
4. Mae-Lynn Catherine Bastion

Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

PURPOSE
To review the long-term incidence of corneal complications following retinal surgery (RS) at National University of Malaysia hospital

METHOD
Retrospective review

RESULTS
One-hundred-and-thirty-two cases of RS performed from January 2008 to November 2009 with minimum of 6 months follow-up were reviewed. 56.8% of patients were diabetic. Intraoperative corneal scraping was required in 15 eyes (11.3%). Duration of surgery was found to be the only significant risk factor for intraoperative cornel scrapping (odds ratio of 1.875). 25 eyes had post-operative epithelial defects. Twenty-one eyes with post-operative defects healed within 8 days while 4 eyes took up to one month, including 3 diabetic eyes, thus requiring contact lenses. Other corneal changes were descemet striations (45.5 %) and superficial punctate keratopathy (35.6%), mostly transient. There were 2 cases of band keratopathy in silicone-filled eyes and one case of disciform keratitis. Cornea decompensation occurred in 4 eyes with prior cataract surgery-related complications.

CONCLUSION:
The cornea, an important structure for view during RS, undergoes important changes during and following RS. This study looks at various degrees of cornea involvement and is a preliminary study looking at ways to minimize corneal pathology following RS.