Visual outcomes and graft survival following corneal transplants: the need for an Irish National Corneal Transplant Registry.

PURPOSE: To evaluate visual outcomes and corneal graft survival at 12 months postoperatively, and to demonstrate the need for an Irish National Corneal Transplant Registry.

METHODS

Retrospective, single surgeon, single center, analysis of 44 consecutive corneal transplants was performed between 2001 and 2005.

RESULTS

Forty-four eyes of 41 patients underwent penetrating keratoplasty (n = 37), lamellar keratoplasty (n = 6) or limbal graft (n = 1). Indications for surgery (%) were keratoconus 45.45%; bullous keratopathy 2.7%; graft failure 9%; Fuchs endothelial dystrophy 2 4.5%; Irido corneal endothelial syndrome 2.27% and tectonic 15.9%. Visual outcome at 1 year (%) were as follows: improved by one or more Snellen lines (79.5%); disimproved by one or more Snellen lines (9%); unchanged (11.5%). Graft survival at 1 year was 93%.

DISCUSSION: Although our findings compare favourably with those of the Australian Corneal Graft Registry, there is no Irish Corneal Transplant Registry with which to compare our results.