Outcome of repeat penetrating keratoplasty in eyes with failed penetrating keratoplasty

OBJECTIVES To report the outcomes of penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) surgeries in eyes with failed PKP. METHODS This was a retrospective, non-comparative, descriptive case series. Thirty eyes of 30 patients with failed PKP comprised our study group, they were reviewed from January 2007 to December 2012 at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected on best corrected visual acuity before and after one week, one month, 3 months, 6 months, one year, and 2 years following PKP. Intraoperative and postoperative complications, changes in intraocular pressure (IOP), additional surgical procedure and other ocular comorbidities were also documented. The visual outcomes at 6 months and one year were associated with risk factors.  RESULTS Before intervention, 18 (60%) eyes had vision less than 20/400. Vision was 20/20 to 20/60 in 10 (30%) eyes at 6 months, 17 (57%) eyes at 12 months, and 22 (73%) eyes at 24 months. The variation in IOP at different follow up periods was not significant (p=0.2). The presence of other ocular comorbidity was not significantly associated with functional visual outcome (p=0.4). Additional surgical procedure after repeat PKP enabled a regain of excellent vision in 9 (47%) eyes at one year. The numbers for past corneal surgeries were significantly associated with the visual outcome at 6 months.  CONCLUSION Penetrating keratoplasty to manage failed PKP resulted in reducing visual disabilities.