FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH EPITHELIAL DEFECTS AFTER PENETRATING KERATOPLASTY

A prospective study of 84 consecutive patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty over a 6-month interval was performed to identify risk fa ctors for postoperative epithelial defects. Data collected included do nor age, host age, time postmortem until enucleation, general health o f donor and host, any history of glaucoma, any surgical procedure, the indication for penetrating keratoplasty, and the presence of any epit helial defect preoperatively in the donor. Patients were evaluated 1 d ay postoperatively for any epithelial defects greater than 1 mm(2) cen tral to the sutures. Single-variable associations and multiple stepwis e logistic regression using standard biostatistical techniques were pe rformed. Thirty-one percent (26 of 84) of the patients had epithelial defects on the first postoperative day. Only diabetes in the donor (P = .03) and longer death-to-enucleation times (P = .03) were associated with an increased risk of epithelial defects. We conclude that diabet es in the donor and longer death-to-enucu- leation times predispose to epithelial defects after penetrating keratoplasty.