title: [Frequency of reoperations after amniotic membrane transplantation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Retrospective evaluation of the frequency of reoperations after amniotic membrane transplantation for different pathologic entities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 81 cases of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT), which were operated on at the university eye clinic Tübingen since 1997 and which had been followed up for at least 12 months. Patient diagnoses were subdivided as follows: conjunctival defects after tumour excision (N = 2), bullous keratopathy (N = 5), external fistula after glaucoma filtering surgery (N = 3), recurrent pterygium (N = 5), symblepharon (N = 6), corneal ulcer with descemetocele (N = 3), non-perforated corneal ulcer (N = 51), perforated corneal ulcer (N = 1), other (n = 5).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall reoperation rate was determined to be 42 % after a follow-up period of one year. Most frequently, a second AMT (N = 16) and a perforating keratoplasty (N = 16) were performed after the initial AMT. The following reoperation rates were determined for the subgroups: Conjunctival defects after tumour excision (0 %), Bullous keratopathy (60 %), External fistula after glaucoma filtering surgery (67 %), Recurrent pterygium (60 %), Symblepharon (67 %), Corneal ulcer with descemetocele (67 %), Non-perforated corneal ulcer (49 %), Perforated corneal ulcer (100 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Particularly in patients with conjunctival defects after tumour excision and with non-perforated corneal ulcers, stabilisation of the ocular surface homeostasis can be achieved with a single amniotic membrane transplantation for at least one year.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung I, Erkrankungen des vorderen und hinteren Augenabschnittes, Universitätsaugenklinik Tübingen. podenk@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Oliver Peter
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Denk
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Birk
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Von Eicken
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knorr
mesh_terms: D001684:Biological Dressings; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D018463:Filtering Surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D011625:Pterygium / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome