"Smart Patch":A New Method To Treat Exposure Keratopathy

Abstract

 

Purpose:

 

To evaluate the percentage of epithelialization in the cornea of patients with exposure keratopathy (EK) treated with the new hydrocolloid adhesive patch (smart patch).

 

Methods:

 

Case report of 13 eyes of 13 patients: 6 eyes with EK due to facial paralysis and 7 eyes with EK associated with mechanical ventilation. All of the patients were treated with the smart patch, a new method to treat exposure keratopathy with an hydrocolloid adhesive patch that sticks to the upper eyelid and poliacrylic acid 4 times a day. The patch was changed every 5 days and was left for 10 ten days after full epithelialization.

 

Results:

 

Complete epithelialization was achieved in 10 patients (100% of the corneal surface) in 14 days. In 3 patients the corneal defect decreased (40% of the corneal surface) but did not healed completely and were treated with a tarsorraphy, the 3 of them had dermatochalasis. The eyelid aperture decreased 6.3 mm+- 0.95 mm in patients without dermatochalasis and 3.33mm +- 0.58 mm in patients with dermatochalasis.

 

Conclusions:

 

Hydrocolloid adhesive patch is an alternative treatment for exposure keratopathy in patients with normal eyelid anatomy. It is a fast and reversible method for decreasing eyelid aperture. Further study is needed to determine if this method is useful in corneal ulcers of other ethiology.  

 

Keywords: cornea: epithelium • wound healing • cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye