Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of a combined procedure (pars plana vitrectomy with temporary keratoprosthesis, vitreoretinal surgery, and penetrating keratoplasty) and to determine which factors influence corneal transplant success rates.
Methods: Records for 34 severely injured eyes of 31 consecutive patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty in combination with vitreoretinal surgery between 1991 and 1998, with a follow-up of at least 12 months, were evaluated retrospectively. Analysis was focused on ocular history, functional and anatomic anterior and posterior segment outcome, and complications.
Results: Penetrating keratoplasty was performed in 10 eyes (29%) within 8 weeks of trauma and in 24 eyes (71%) as a secondary procedure. Initial improvement in visual acuity (VA) was achieved in 47% of eyes; at the end of the follow-up, 74% of the eyes had attained equal or better VA than the initial postsurgical VA. Reasons for poor final VA were hypotony or phthisis (35%) and recurrent retinal detachment (11%). Corneal grafts remained clear for 1 year in 65% of eyes. Transplant failure was less in eyes that did not need a permanent silicone oil tamponade, when the retina was attached before surgery, and in eyes that were grafted later after trauma and received no further surgery. These were some conditions that were associated with a longer mean graft survival time, but without statistical significance. There was no difference in eyes according to the trauma mechanism, preoperative intraocular pressure, or graft size.
Conclusions: Penetrating keratoplasty in severely injured eyes is often complicated by ciliary body malfunction and secondary transplant failure. Although the functional outcome of a combined procedure is limited by primary and secondary tissue destruction, preserving ambulatory vision is possible and thus improves the quality of life, at least in patients with single remaining eyes.