title: Retrospective long-term follow-up of the triple procedure (combined keratoplasty and cataract surgery).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Combined keratoplasty and cataract surgery has been performed at the University Eye Clinic in Tübingen since the nineteen-seventies. The present study was carried out to evaluate the long-term efficacy of this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Only grafts that had been followed for at least 4 years (6.5 +/- 2.3) were included. We studied the clinical outcome and final visual acuity of 19 patients (mean age 70 +/- 8.4 years) who had undergone "triple procedure surgery" on 23 eyes at the University Eye Clinic in Tübingen between 1983 and 1991.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The keratoplasty was the first for 20 eyes and a regraft procedure in three. The mean diameter of the donor buttons was 7.31 +/- 0.4 mm, that of the host transplants 7.17 +/- 0.4 mm. Intra-operative complications included four vis a tergo reactions and one instance of bleeding in the anterior chamber. The most frequent postoperative complications were astigmatism (61%) and secondary glaucoma (4.3%). Postoperatively, six of the affected eyes required additional surgery. Preoperative visual acuity (0.06 +/- 0.08) improved postoperatively to 0.4 +/- 0.26, which was statistically significant. The postoperative retinal vision was 0.5 +/- 0.2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrate the long-term success of the triple procedure. It can be especially recommended for patients in reduced general health who require rapid visual rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Erb
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zimmermann-Burg
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Steuhl
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Weidle
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Thiel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome