Retrospective long-term follow-up of the triple procedure (combined keratoplasty and cataract surgery).
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.
Erb
C
C
University Eye Clinic, Tübingen, Germany.
Zimmermann-Burg
B
B
Steuhl
K P
KP
Weidle
E G
EG
Thiel
H J
HJ
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