Long-term safety of polypropylene knots under scleral flaps for transsclerally sutured posterior chamber lenses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety of polypropylene knots used in TS-SPCL combined with PK and AV over time.
METHOD: A retrospective review of 26 consecutive cases of TS-SPCL by one surgeon (WSVM) with at least 12 months follow-up (mean 26, range 12-62). All patients had a double strand polypropylene knot buried under partial thickness scleral flaps at 2 and 8 o'clock. Knots were rotated into the globe (R) in 10 cases, and could not be buried (N) in 13 cases, and in 3 cases 1 knot was buried.
RESULTS: No cases of suture erosion occurred in R or N. One or more polypropylene sutures were visible in 17 patients (8 R, 9 T) at last exam. Twenty-three of 52 knots were rotated into the globe, and 70% of rotated knots were not even visible at the slit lamp at final visit. There was no evidence of conjunctival erosion in any patient. There was no lens dislocation and no endophthalmitis.
CONCLUSION: The combination of partial thickness scleral flaps with double strand polypropylene knots reduces the incidence of suture erosion through the conjunctive if knots cannot be rotated into the globe.