RESUMO
Purpose: To study the impact of the COVID?19 lockdown on the regular follow?up of keratoplasty patients. Methods: This retrospective interventional case series included 30 patients who had immunological corneal endothelial rejection out of 190 patients who came for post?PKP follow?up between September 15, 2019, and September 30, 2020. The demographics, primary diagnosis, surgical technique, time of presentation, recovery of graft, associated ocular problems, and visual acuity at 1 month were analyzed. Forward stepwise (likelihood ratio) binary logistic regression was used to find significant variables. Results: The study population had 19 males (63.33%) and 11 females (36.67%). The mean age of the study group was 42.83 ± 18.89 (8–80) years. Of 30 patients, 19 (63.3%) presented before and 11 (36.7%) after the COVID?19 lockdown. Overall, 23 (77%) showed a reversal of graft rejection. Logistic regression showed that preoperative indications, large?sized grafts, and deep corneal vascularization were significant risk factors for non?resolution of graft rejection. It was noted that patients who presented to the hospital late had poor recovery (P = 0.002). The delay in the presentation was a significant risk factor for non?resolution of graft rejection (P < 0.01). Z?test for proportions revealed that the difference in the non?resolution of rejection on immediate or delayed treatment in patients presenting during lockdown (P = 0.002) was significant. Conclusion: This article is to highlight the impact of the COVID?19 lockdown on graft rejection recovery of PKP patients due to delays in follow?up. Early treatment helps in the recovery of graft transparency and the reversal of immunological graft rejection. Also, primary diagnosis, deep vascularization, and large?sized grafts were significant risk factors for non?resolution of graft rejection.