Causes and risk factors for graft failure in surgeries performed by physicians in fellowship training.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence, causes, and risk factors of penetrating keratoplasty failure.


METHODS
A retrospective study was carried out in 213 penetrating keratoplasties (194 patients) between January 1995 and January 2001 at the Cornea Section of the Ophthalmology Service at the School of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlândia MG, Brazil. Follow-up time for 213 surgeries ranged from 2 to 68 months (mean 29.05 +/- 17.17 months).


RESULTS
Two hundred thirteen surgeries were evaluated, and 54 (25.3%) failed. Risk factors for developing graft failure were regraft [relative risk (RR) = 2.9734], trauma (RR = 1.4602) and herpes (HSV) (RR = 1.3400). Patients with previous glaucoma (P < 0.00001), previous ocular surgery (P < 0.0008), combined procedures (P < 0.001), and glaucoma after penetrating keratoplasty (P < 0.00001) had an increased the rate of graft failure. The main causes of graft failure were irreversible rejection (50%), glaucoma (20.3%), primary graft failure (16.6%), and infection (3.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
Graft failure is a common problem in cornea transplantation. Etiology and pre- and postsurgical risk factors are important in the prognosis of keratoplasties.
de Freitas
Alexandre Menezes
AM
Cornea Section of the Ophthalmology Service, School of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil. alexf@triang.com.br
Melo
Breno César Viegas
BC
Mendonça
Camila Naves
CN
Machado
Renato Penha
RP
Rocha
Flávio Jaime
FJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000193:education*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors