ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess the risk factors proceeding to graft failure in post-keratoplasty ocular hypertension patients. METHODS: In 35 eyes diagnosed with post-keratoplasty ocular hypertension (graft failure: 13 eyes; graft survival: 22 eyes), relationships between graft status at the observation time and pre-keratoplasty diagnosis, lens status, history of graft failure, donor size, difference between donor and recipient graft size, donor corneal endothelial cell count, post-keratoplasty intraocular pressure (after 1 week and maintenance intraocular pressure after surgery), and number of antiglaucomatic agents were investigated. The relative risks of each factor to induce graft failure were also evaluated. RESULTS: Previous graft failure history, pre-existing pseudophakic bullous keratopathy and aphakia/pseudophakia showed statistically significant high probabilities of proceeding to graft failure (p < 0.05). In particular, the intraocular pressure 1 week after the graft was statistically higher (p < 0.05) in the graft failure group (24.31 +/- 8.82 mm Hg) than in the graft survival group (16.81 +/- 6.69 mm Hg). CONCLUSIONS: Strict management of intraocular pressure in the early phase of penetrating keratoplasty could contribute to reducing graft failure in post-keratoplasty ocular hypertension patients.