A comparative study of tarsorrhaphy and amniotic membrane transplantation in the healing of persistent corneal epithelial defects

Purpose: To compare and study the clinical outcome of tarsorrhaphy and amniotic membrane transplant in the healing of persistent corneal epithelial defects in terms of clinical improvement and symptomatic relief. Methods: This was an interventional, prospective study in which a total of 60 patients with persistent epithelial defects (PED's), randomly divided into two groups of 30 patients each who underwent tarsorrhaphy (Group A) or amniotic membrane transplantation (Group B) with a 4-week-follow-up period, were included. The main parameters studied were the size of an epithelial defect, total healing time, pain score, and complications. Results: The study included 60 eyes of 60 patients with PED. The healing time was 9.83 +/- 6.51 days in Group A (median = 9.50 days, IQR = 1-7 days) vs. 18.33 +/- 13.46 days (median = 19.50 days, IQR = 1-21 days) in Group B. A total of ten eyes (16.7%) did not heal at the end of 4 weeks. Conclusion: There was a significant reduction in the area of epithelial defect at the end of the 1 week and 2 week follow up postoperatively, in both the treatment forms. The mean healing time in patients of Group A was less as compared to that of the patients in Group B.