Antimicrobial implants study winner of EuCornea Congress 2019 prize

“A novel in situ sustained release drug delivery system for infective keratitis” was the topic of this year’s EuCornea Congress Winning Poster in Paris.

Poster winner Lional R. Daniel Ponniah MD, Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, South India, outlined findings from his prospective interventional non-comparative clinical trial, which demonstrated the efficacy of implantable intracorneal sustained-release antimicrobials in posterior corneal infections and abscesses.

Cases with posterior corneal infections were enrolled, while implantable antimicrobials were used in the interface during therapeutic lamellar keratoplasties too.

A deeper corneal plane was fashioned either manually or by femtosecond lasers with one-to-two incisions, through which antimicrobial implants were positioned.

Results were analysed using daily anterior segment optical coherence tomography and slit lamp photography.

Implants (n=16) were removed between three-to-five days after surgery and were re-implanted if required (n=2). Analysis showed that significant levels of antimicrobials were reached in less than eight hours after implantation, and prolonged release was noted after 72-to-96 hours.

In all cases the infections were resolved.

Dr Ponniah concluded that the newer in situ sustained-release drug delivery system showed an optimal therapeutic effect in deep corneal infections in terms of prolonged corneal contact time, enhanced ocular bioavailability, patient compliance and reduced surface toxicities.