Purpose: To compare the effect of fresh versus preserved amniotic membrane transplantation for conjunctival surface reconstruction after symblepharon lysis and analyze the associated factors.
Methods: Fifty-one consecutive cases (55 eyes) with symblepharon at different degree due to eye burns or Stevens-Johnson syndrome were accepted lysis of symblepharon and amniotic membrane transplantation. Twenty-two eyes of them were performed with fresh amnion grafts, the others (33 eyes) with preserved human amniotic membrane. Eleven eyes were performed within 1 year and forty eyes in 1 to 8 years (mean value, 2.0 +/- 0.7 years) after eye burns.
Results: The follow-up time varied from 12 to 32 months (mean value, 19.3 +/- 4.1 months). Fifty-six point four percent (31/55) eyes got enough deep conjunctival fornix and resolution of eye movement restrict. Sixteen percent of them (9/55) recurred less symblepharon and remained slightly eye movement restrict. Fifteen-five eyes of them (27.3%) recurred moderate symblepharon. The effects of surgery were similar between fresh and preserved AMT (chi2 = 0.466, P = 0.797). The effects of AMT for those patients with symblepharon at different degree had significant difference statistically (fresh amnions, chi2 = 27.995, P = 0.000; preserved amnions, chi2 = 33.610, P = 0.000). The same results were observed between those patients who were performed in different time periods after eye burns (chi2 = 4.243, P = 0.039).
Conclusion: Fresh amnion has the same effect as preserved one for conjunctival surface reconstruction. The degree of symblepharon and the surgical environment of the ocular surface in the affected eye before surgery will influence the results of amniotic membrane transplantation for conjunctival surface reconstruction.