A comparison of corneal autografts with homografts.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether ensured graft acceptance through the use of corneal autografts yields a better outcome than when standard homografts are used.


METHODS
Four patients who needed a corneal transplant in one eye and who had a blind fellow eye underwent a corneal autograft in the eye with corneal pathology.


RESULTS
Three of the four patients had clear grafts on long-term follow-up, and no patient experienced immunologic graft rejection. However, two of the four patients had large amounts of astigmatism postoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
Autografts provided protection against immunologic graft rejection. However, because corneal autografts yielded unpredictable amounts of astigmatism, their outcomes are not necessarily better than those of homografts.
Oplinger
N L
NL
New York Medical College, Valhalla, USA.
Zaidman
G W
GW
Buxton
D F
DF
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000150:complications; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity