A modified technique for minor salivary gland transplantation (MSGT) as a treatment for severe dry eye disease (DED) led to long-term improvements in visual acuity, ocular surface environment and keratopathy, new research found.
The Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation and Brien Holden Eye Research Centre study investigated the outcome of MSGT as a treatment for cicatrising conjunctivitis (chronic conjunctivitis with conjunctival fibrosis) -induced DED.
The retrospective study found that the modified technique – involving en bloc harvesting of a 20×15mm mucosa-gland-muscle complex and fixation of the glands to the superior bulbar surface anchored to the superior rectus muscle –achieved significant improvements in Schirmer’s scores, conjunctival and corneal staining scores, plus grades of corneal neovascularisation and opacification after surgery. No serious or sight-threatening complications in the transplanted eyes or at the donor site were reported.
The analysis included 19 patients (21 eyes) undergoing MSGT from 2016 to 2018, with a median follow-up duration of three years. The median best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from a baseline value of 20/500 to 20/125 at one year (p=0.0004) and 20/80 at three years (p=0.0002) after surgery. The proportion of cases with BCVA ≥20/200 improved from 38% at baseline to 67% at one year (p=0.0294), 78% at two years (p=0.0227) and 93% at three years (p=0.0015) after surgery.
The study was published by British Journal of Ophthalmology.
