STRAIGHT NEEDLE CORNEAL SPLINTING FOR ANTERIOR SEGMENT SURGERY

Corneal splinting is an old and well established surgical technique an d modern straight needles allow for atraumatic and accurate placement, providing-an alternative to suture-fixation scleral ring support. We have routinely used two straight, 150-micrometer diameter, 16-millimet er length suture needles passed through clear cornea, to act as anteri or segment splint supports during anterior segment surgery in which th e cornea would otherwise collapse. The needles enter through the clear corneal periphery, pass across the anterior chamber, and exit through clear cornea in a criss-cross configuration. This splint technique is quick and easy to perform and is an alternative or addition to suture -fixation scleral ring support.