Results of penetrating keratoplasty by residents

There is little information regarding the results of penetrating keratoplasty for the novice transplant surgeon. We reviewed 63 consecutive cases of penetrating keratoplasty performed by senior residents at our institution. Of 59 cases with a 1-year follow-up, 76% remained clear; the mean astigmatism was 4.15 diopters, and the median visual acuity was 20/50. The two major postoperative complications were graft rejection and increased intraocular pressure, which occurred in 22% and 16% of cases, respectively. In a well-supervised setting, residents can be introduced to the basic principles of keratoplasty and achieve results comparable with those reported in the literature.