Fibrin Glue in Temporal Clear Corneal Tunnel Incision

OBJECTIVE: While 3.5 mm clear corneal incisions for the implantation of foldable silicone lenses are commonly accepted, longer incisions for PMMA-IOL implantation are associated with a possibly higher risk of infection and less self-sealing properties. DESIGN: It was intended to reinforce the 5 mm clear corneal tunnel incision after phacoemulsification and IOL-implantation with fibrin adhesive. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Giessen, Germany. METHODS: Upon simultaneous mixing of fibrinogen complex and thrombin, the final stages of the coagulation cascade are mimicked after application of fibrin glue, resulting in formation of a fibrin clot. MAIN OUTCOME: The sealant consolidated and adhered to the site of corneal application. The present case demonstrated that fibrin glue is efficacious in watertight wound closure of 5 mm clear corneal incision and provides good support for corneal healing. Only minimal surgically-induced with-the-rule astigmatism was observed. CONCLUSION: In the future, this technique of corneal wound closure might develop as an alternative to singlesuture wound closure after small incision cataract extraction.