Surgical management of corneal ulcers in dogs: Pedicle and bridge conjunctival grafts

Abstract

Corneal ulcers are commonly found eye disorders. If not treated appropriately it can lead to permanent damage to the eye. Routine medicinal treatment many times is not able to achieve healing, which necessitates the surgical intervention. The study was conducted to treat canine corneal ulcer using conjunctival pedicle grafting (group I) and conjunctival bridge grafting (group II) techniques. The study included 13 eyes of 12 dogs. Seven eyes of six dogs received conjunctival pedicle graft, while six eyes of six animals received bridge conjunctival graft. Restoration of functional vision was achieved in 85.71% eyes of group I and 66.66% eyes of group II. Graft dehiscence, corneal oedema, scar at ulcer bed and corneal pigmentation were the most significant postoperative complications in both groups. In comparison, the pedicle grafting was more effective than bridge grafting, therefore, it can be used as first choice method for the globe threatening conditions which otherwise require enucleation.