Hydrodissection to create conjunctival flaps in dogs with corneal ulcers

Vet World Vol.16 December-2023 Article-10

Research Article

Veterinary World, 16(12): 2457-2463

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2023.2457-2463

Lygia Silva Galeno¹, Alice Regina Silva Lopes², José Ribamar da Silva Júnior³, Ana Lúcia Abreu-Silva^1,4, and Tiago Barbalho Lima^1,3

1. Graduated Program of Animal Science, State University of Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil.
2. Veterinary Teaching Hospital, State University of Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil.
3. Departament of Veterinary Medicine, State University of Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil.
4. Departament of Pathology, State University of Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil.

Background and Aim: Hydrodissection is a liquid injection technique that is rarely used in animal ophthalmic procedures. The use of this technique in the creation of conjunctival flaps for the treatment of corneal ulcers in dogs can improve the outcome, task, and comfort for patients. This study aimed to evaluate the use of hydrodissection in the creation of conjunctival flaps in dogs with corneal ulcers.

Materials and Methods: This study focused on a surgical procedure for creating conjunctival flaps in the eyes of 17 dogs with deep corneal ulcers. We divided the patients into two groups: Hydrodissection was performed in the first group (G1) and conventional divulsion without hydrodissection in the second group (G2). In G1, the conjunctival flap was created by subconjunctival injection of 1 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride, followed by flap construction. The flap was constructed through conventional divulsion using iris scissors in the G2. The operative time, degree of bleeding, and ease of conjunctival divulsion were evaluated during the procedure. Blepharospasm, hyperemia, edema, and scarring of the conjunctiva were evaluated during the post-operative period. Post-operative complications, notably suture dehiscence, were recorded in each group.

Results: Hydrodissection is an easy-to-perform maneuver that optimizes the construction of conjunctival flaps. There were no statistical differences in the parameters used to evaluate the trans- and post-operative period between the groups. The volume of sodium chloride administered in the conjunctiva ranged from 0.5 mL to 1 mL in G1. Dehiscence of the flap sutures was observed in four patients (two in G1 and two in G2), with no significant difference between the groups.

Conclusion: Hydrodissection facilitates the construction of conjunctival flaps in dogs with corneal ulcers, affording greater comfort to patients and proving to be an excellent option for ophthalmologists. Keywords: conjunctival hydrodissection, corneal ulcer, divulsion.

Keywords: conjunctival hydrodissection, corneal ulcer, divulsion.

How to cite this article: Galeno LS, Lopes ARS, da Silva Júnior JR, Abreu- Silva AL, and Lima TB (2023) Hydrodissection to create conjunctival flaps in dogs with corneal ulcers, Veterinary World, 16(12): 2457-2463.

Received: 18-08-2023 Accepted: 22-11-2023 Published online: 20-12-2023

Corresponding author: Lygia Silva Galeno E-mail: lygiagaleno@outlook.com

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.2457-2463

Copyright: Galeno, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.