Surgical Options for Corneal Ulcers

Achieving successful post operative corneal surgery outcomes in the horse is greatly dependent upon 3 factors: accurate diagnosis, appropriate surgical intervention for the identified lesion, and diligent follow-up examinations.

Obtaining an accurate diagnosis prior to surgical intervention is not possible in every case; however, appropriate diagnostic steps should be performed in a sequential and logical manner to allow for the most appropriate treatment plan to be implemented (Gilger and Stoppini 2011). Determining lesion location within the cornea is essential to achieve the best post operative results. Slit lamp biomicroscopy allows the examiner to precisely determine lesion depth within the cornea.

Superficial corneal lesions (up to 30% corneal depth)
There are a relatively large number of surgical interventions routinely utilised to treat superficial corneal lesions. In general, the surgeon should choose the least invasive procedure that promises the best results. Superificial corneal lesions such as chronic, nonhealing (indolent) corneal ulcers that do not respond to routine corneal debridement can be treated with mechanical debridement or various keratotomy procedures (Michau et al.2003; Bentley and Murphy 2004; Brünott et al. 2007). [...]