The study was done to check the outcomes following phacoemulsification on four eyes, 45 years or more after corneal transplantation to get excellent long-term results.
A retrospective case series of four eyes in three patients (P1, P2, P3), undergoing phacoemulsification at least 45 years after corneal transplantation by Dr Ramon Castroviejo. Corneal graft survival outcome measures included CCT, BCVA, corneal clarity and ECC.
Phacoemulsification was successfully completed in all four cases with no instances of graft failure during the postoperative follow-up period, which ranged from 17 months to 76 months. At the conclusion of the follow-up period, all four grafts remained clear, and BCVA remained better than or similar to preoperative values. Long-term follow-up revealed no meaningful changes in CCT after phacoemulsification. All but one case experienced a decrease in ECC, with ECC values in the four cases ranging from 538 cells/mm2 to 1436 cells/mm2 at the conclusion of postoperative follow-up.
The study concluded that with appropriate preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative measures, successful phacoemulsification can be performed in these cases with excellent long-term results.
Reference: https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2020/08/28/bjophthalmol-2020-316435
