Utility of Autologous Fascia Lata Grafting in Veterinary Ophthalmology: A Case Series of 5 Dogs.

Autologous fascia lata grafting effectively provides tectonic support for globe-threatening ophthalmic conditions in dogs with minimal donor site morbidity.

This case series describes the application of autologous fascia lata (AFL) grafting in five canine patients with globe-threatening ophthalmic conditions. AFL, harvested minimally invasively from the patient's own fascia lata, was used to address three primary indications: recurrent scleral staphyloma (2 cases), conjunctival thinning overlying glaucoma drainage device tubing (1 case), and scleral reconstruction following limbal melanocytic tumor resection (2 cases). All five cases demonstrated successful surgical outcomes with sustained graft integration and favorable biocompatibility. Dogs treated for recurrent scleral staphyloma showed no staphyloma recurrence at 6 and 13 months post-operatively. The case involving glaucoma drainage device conjunctival erosion demonstrated maintained conjunctival integrity at 6-month follow-up. Both limbal tumor cases showed adequate scleral reinforcement and preserved globe integrity at 10 weeks and 5 months respectively. Importantly, donor site morbidity was minimal across all cases. This work demonstrates that AFL grafting is a reliable autologous alternative for providing tectonic support in complex ophthalmic reconstructive procedures in dogs.

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