Early repeated corneal grafts

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Transplantation
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Corneal transplantation is a common procedure for vision restoration.
• Early graft failure can necessitate regrafting, but timing is often debated.
• Reasons for regrafting include poor epithelialization, suboptimal donor tissue, and complications like synechiae.

Observation:

• Four cases of corneal regrafting performed 7 to 26 days post-initial surgery are reported.
• Regrafting was indicated due to incomplete epithelialization, poor donor material, and ring synechiae with secondary glaucoma.
• All regrafted corneas remained transparent post-operatively.

Findings:

• Early corneal regrafting resulted in transparent grafts in all reported cases.
• Advantages observed include accelerated visual rehabilitation and prevention of corneal vascularization.
• Early intervention prevented fibrotic organization of synechiae, a common complication.

Implications:

• Early corneal regrafting may be a viable and beneficial option when initial grafts are compromised.
• This strategy can improve patient outcomes by hastening vision recovery and preventing further complications.
• The findings challenge the conventional view against early regrafting in select cases.