Outcome of penetrating keratoplasty in patients with bilateral corneal blindness.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcome of penetrating keratoplasty in patients with bilateral corneal blindness.


METHODS
Bilaterally blind patients who had undergone optical penetrating keratoplasty (PK) were evaluated on optical and refractive parameters and presence of complications if any. The results at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were compared with age-matched and indication-matched unilaterally blind controls.


RESULTS
The most common indication for surgery in both the groups was the presence of a corneoiridic scar. Best corrected visual acuity of > or =6/18 was seen in five (16.66%) patients in the study group and in 11 (36.66%) patients in the control group (P = 0.14). In all, 15 (50%) grafts in the study group and six (20%) in the control group failed (P = 0.03). The most common cause of failure was graft infection (40%) in the study group and post-PK glaucoma (20%) in the control group. The percentage of graft rejection as a cause of graft failure was the same in both the groups. A composite socioeconomic status scale based on family literacy and income suggested that 70% of the cases in the study group and 30% in the control group belonged to the low socioeconomic group (P = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
The outcome of optical penetrating keratoplasty in patients with bilaterally blinding corneal disease is poorer than those who are unilaterally blind. Low socioeconomic status may be a contributing factor for the poor outcome.
Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India.
R
R
Sinha
M
M
Vanathi
N
N
Sharma
J S
JS
Titiyal
R B
RB
Vajpayee
R
R
Tandon
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003906:Developing Countries; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity