A randomized trial of pressure patching for epithelial defects after keratoplasty.

A prospective randomly controlled trial of the effectiveness of pressure patching in the treatment of epithelial defects after keratoplasty in 41 patients (19 in the patched group and 22 in the unpatched group) showed no significant differences in healing between the two groups (P less than .25 to P less than .49 on postoperative days 1 to 6). The mean time needed for complete healing was 2.11 days in the patched group and 2.09 days in the unpatched group. Patients with bullous keratopathy preoperatively had larger initial defects (31.4 mm2) than those without (20.1 mm2) but the time needed for healing did not differ significantly (2.35 days vs 1.9 days; P less than .10).