Facial Plast Surg 2016; 32(03): 328
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1578568
Letter to the Editor
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

A Simple Method to Protect the Cornea

İlhami Oğuzhan Aydoğdu
1   Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Samsun Education and Research Hospital, Samsun, Turkey
,
İbrahim Alper Aksakal
1   Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Samsun Education and Research Hospital, Samsun, Turkey
,
Nuray Öztürk
1   Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Samsun Education and Research Hospital, Samsun, Turkey
,
Musa Kemal Keleş
2   Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Diskapı Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
01 June 2016 (online)

Corneal abrasion is one of the most common complications following operations in the ocular region that are made under general anesthesia, with the exception of globe operations. The cornea is one of the most innervated tissues. The pain that occurs after a corneal abrasion can be much greater than the postoperative surgical pain. The cornea is a mechanical barrier for infections. Injury of the cornea facilitates the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms. On the other hand, postoperative corneal abrasion and keratitis are avoidable complications.

Passive closing of the eye, banding of the eyelid, application of ocular pomade, tarsorrhaphy, application of eye-protecting glasses, and closing of the eye by using gels can be used for protecting the cornea. In facial surgical operations, the eye should be closed and kept in the surgical field. The above-mentioned cornea-protecting processes can be used in these operations. In facial surgical operations, closing the eye with a lubricant pomade that includes antibiotics is the most common way of protecting the cornea. In time-consuming operations, lubricant should be done repeatedly to protect the cornea. This requires getting continuous help from the nonsurgical team. We ensured the repeated use of the lubricating pomade by taking it to the surgical field in a sterile way before the operation.

We used a 5-mL sterilized injector, taking the injector piston out and placing two boxes of lubricating pomade inside it. Without using the needle, we put the pomade in the eye by using the injector ([Fig. 1]). In that way, protecting and lubricating the eye should be ensured by using the sterile pomade during the operation.

Zoom Image
Fig. 1. Without using the needle, lubricant is applied to the eye using an injector.

As a result, this way of protecting the eye is a practical, easy method that accelerates the surgery.