[Penetrating corneal transplants: experience with 114 grafts]

A series of 114 penetrating corneal transplants performed in a public hospital in Santiago de Chile by the first author is reported. The first cause of corneal grafting was herpes simplex keratitis (37%), the second keratoconus (22%). Signs of rejection were observed in 32.5% of the grafts and of these, 32% lost transparency. Graft clarity was good in 74% of the grafts and poor in 17.5%. Poor transparency was due to graft rejection in 65% of the cases. Phakic eyes had good transparency in 81% of cases and aphakic eyes only in 48%. Preoperatively the visual acuity was 0.1 or less in 79% of cases and post-operatively it was better than 0.5 in 50% and better than 0.1 in 82% of the cases. The mean postoperative astigmatism was 4.4 diopters. Results in graft clarity were classified according to preoperative prognosis.