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Longterm follow-up of penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus

  1. Lene Bang Jensen,
  2. Jesper Hjortdal,
  3. Niels Ehlers

Article first published online: 26 JUN 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2009.01525.x

Issue

Acta Ophthalmologica

Acta Ophthalmologica

Volume 88, Issue 3, pages 347–351, May 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Jensen, L. B., Hjortdal, J. and Ehlers, N. (2010), Longterm follow-up of penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus. Acta Ophthalmologica, 88: 347–351. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2009.01525.x

Author Information

  1. Department of Ophthalmolgy, Aarhus University Hospital, Århus Sygehus, Århus, Denmark

*Lene Bang Jensen Skejbytoften 75 8200 Århus N Denmark Tel: + 45 86 18 31 09 Fax: + 45 86 12 16 53 Email: lenep74@hotmail.com

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 27 APR 2010
  2. Article first published online: 26 JUN 2009
  3. Received on June 27th, 2008. Accepted on November 30th, 2008.

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Keywords:

  • corneal thickness;
  • endothelial cell density;
  • keratoconus;
  • longterm results;
  • penetrating keratoplasty

Abstract.

Purpose:  This study aims to describe the current visual and refractive status of patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PK) for keratoconus > 20 years ago and to report on the current status of their grafts.

Methods:  A total of 138 eyes in 103 patients were grafted for keratoconus between August 1968 and December 1985. Patients who had not undergone retransplantation were invited to attend a clinical examination. Forty-eight patients (with 61 grafts) accepted the invitation and were examined.

Results:  The average length of time since PK was 26.9 years (standard deviation [SD] 4.2 years, range 20.8–38.0 years, n = 61). The average graft age at examination was 82.1 years (SD 19.9 years, range 41–115 years). A total of 80% (49 of 61 grafts) of the examined eyes had a clear graft and 46% (28 of 61 eyes) had best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) ≥ 0.5. The mean endothelial cell density per mm2 was 894 (SD 4.6, range 470–1775). The mean central corneal thickness of the clear grafts was 0.565 mm (SD 0.048 mm).

Conclusions:  Penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus has a good longterm prognosis; half of the eyes examined in this study had BSCVA ≥ 0.5 at > 20 years after surgery.

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