Clinical Outcomes of Penetrating Keratoplasty and Limbal Transplantation from the Same Versus Different Donor Graft

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the difference of the central graft rejection after penetrating keratoplasty and limbal allograft transplantation from different donors vs from the same donor. MATERIAL and METHODS: Three patients diagnosed with chemical burn and one with Stevens-Johnson syndrome were included. Three patients underwent penetrating keratoplasty and limbal allograft transplantation from different donors and one underwent the same operation from the same donor. Mean follow-up was 13 months. Visual acuity, re-epithelization and endothelial rejection were examined. RESULTS: Re-epithelization occurred within 3 to 14 days (mean 8.7 days) in three eyes with chemical burn. Visual acuities ranged from light perception to 20/100. Endothelial rejection developed in the eye transplanted from the same donor. Re-epithelization failed in the eye with Stevens-Johnson syndrome even though limbal graft transplantation and cultivated limbal epithelium transplantation were performed repeatedly. CONCLUSIONS: Corneal endothelial rejection seemed to decrease after penetrating keratoplasty and limbal allograft transplantation from different donors.