The Place of Penetrating Keratoplasty in Corneal Diseases

The aim of the study was to analyze the results from penetrating keratoplasties (PK) in patients with different comeal diseases. The retrospective study included 124 patients (130 eyes) who underwent penetrating keratoplasty at the Eye Clinic, Pleven, between 1990 and 2011. The patients were divided into four groups, according to the main indication for keratoplasty: 1 - bullous keratopathy - pseudophakic and aphakic bullous keratopathy (PBK and ABK); 2 - degeneration and dystrophy (including keratoconus); 3 - keratitis, scar, trauma; 4 - repeat keratoplasty. The main indications for penetrating keratoplasty included regraft - 27%, PBK - 22.62%, ABK - 11.9% and keratoconus - 10.71%, though the leading cause had been different at different periods of time. By the time of suture removal (8-9 months on the average) in the group of patients with bullous keratopathy, the percentages of clear grafts were as follows: 55.88% in the group of patients with bullous keratopathy, 97.44% in the group with comeal degeneration and dystrophies, and 60% in the group with keratitis, corneal scar and trauma. In patients with regrafts, For the whole period of the study, grafts failed in 61.54% of patients with one regraft, and in 50% of the cases with second and third regrafts. Penetrating keratoplasty proved a valuable method of treatment for a number of comeal diseases. The prognosis and outcome, however, depended on the pathology responsible for comeal blindness.