Outcomes of Pre-Descemet Endothelial Keratoplasty for Failed Therapeutic Penetrating Keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of pre-Descemet endothelial keratoplasty (PDEK) for failed therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, interventional study that involved 12 eyes of 12 patients with failed therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty that underwent PDEK. All cases had a minimum follow-up of 12 months. The main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity, graft clarity, endothelial cell density loss, and graft survival. Corneal clarity was graded on a scale from 0 to 4, where grade 4 denoted an absolutely clear cornea and grade 0 denoted a totally opaque cornea. Three cases underwent PDEK, 6 cases PDEK with phacoemulsification, and 3 cases underwent PDEK with pupilloplasty.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up period for all cases was 18.5 ± 4.9 months. The mean preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (in Snellen decimal equivalent) was 0.02 ± 0.01 and 0.54 ± 0.17, respectively, at the last follow-up. Postoperatively, corneal clarity grade 4 was present in 9 eyes, grade 3 in 2 eyes, and grade 2 in 1 eye. Mild subepithelial haze was noted in 2 eyes. The percentage of endothelial cell density loss was 28.2% ± 10.6%. No correlation was observed between the postoperative graft clarity and preoperative specular count (r = -0.021, P = 0.512). Rebubbling was performed for 1 eye that developed partial graft detachment in the first postoperative week. One patient had an episode of rejection that was managed with systemic and topical steroids.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with failed therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty, PDEK can be a useful alternative for visual rehabilitation as it demonstrates favorable visual outcomes with a good graft survival rate.