J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2007 Feb;48(2):266-272.

The Surgical Result of Phacoemulsification after Penetrating Keratoplasty

• Cho YK
• Kim MS

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the factors that affect visual outcome and transplanted corneal endothelial cell density in eyes that have undergone cataract surgery after penetrating keratoplasty, and to compare surgical outcomes with those of a control group.
METHODS
We conducted a retrospective review of case records of 20 eyes that had undergone cataract surgery between January 2003 and April 2006 after previous penetrating keratoplasty (group I) and 20 eyes that had undergone cataract surgery alone with low cornea endothelial cell density (group II).
RESULTS
For both groups, the grade of nucleosclerosis affected postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the total phaco energy (phaco power X time) did not affect either BCVA or endothelial cell density. In group I, the factor that most affected change in corneal endothelial cell density after cataract surgery was the time interval between keratoplasty and phacoemulsification. Comparison of the surgical results showed an increase in BCVA for both groups, and the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. However, group I showed a significantly greater decrease in corneal endothelial cell density than did group II.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the corneal endothelial cells of the eye having previously undergone penertrating keratoplasty are vulnerable to surgical insult occurring in procedures such as cataract surgery, and that the time interval between the two procedures can affect the change in endothelial cell density.

Keyword

Cataract Surgery; Corneal Endothelium; Penetrating Keratoplasty

MeSH Terms

Cataract
Cornea
Corneal Transplantation
Endothelial Cells
Endothelium, Corneal
Keratoplasty, Penetrating*
Phacoemulsification*
Retrospective Studies
Visual Acuity