The comparison of pain perception between polypropylene and chromic catgut suture in Müller muscle’s conjunctival resection with externalization of suture knots; a randomized controlled trial

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Duangmontree Rojdamrongratana
Marin Pattanapattana
Pichaya Tantiyavarong
Apichaya Leesakul

Abstract

Objective: Muller’s muscle conjunctival resection (MMCR) is a posterior approach surgical technique to correct blepharoptosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the patient-reported pain scores and surgical outcomes between polypropylene sutures and chromic catgut sutures.


Methods: A prospective randomized comparative clinical trial enrolled subjects from one tertiary eye center. Patients undergoing unilateral MMCR were randomized to receive either a polypropylene suture or a chromic catgut suture. Upper eyelid margin-to-reflex distance was measured and recorded before and after surgery. Then, pain scores were quantified using the pain visual analog scale: measured during surgery, one day after surgery, and when the sutures removed. The results were analyzed using an unpaired t-test.


Results: The study enrolled twenty-two unilateral cases. Seventeen (77%) of the subjects were female. The mean patient age was 45 years (45.18). The mean margin-to-reflex distance was 1.84 mm preoperatively, which increased to 2.96 and 3.09 mm one month postoperatively in the polypropylene and the catgut suture groups, respectively (P-value <0.0001).  Results demonstrated significant pain scores difference between the two sutures during sutures removal. There were no suture-related complications.


Conclusion: Patients receiving polypropylene sutures reported significantly more pain during suture removal than those receiving catgut sutures. However, the surgical outcomes were not different.


Conflicts of interest: No conflict of interest is reported.

Article Details

Section
Original Study

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