Corneal transplantation for inflammatory keratopathies in the horse: Visual outcome in 206 cases (1993-2007)

• Published in: Veterinary ophthalmology Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 123 - 133
• Main Authors: Brooks, D.E, Plummer, C.E, Kallberg, M.E, Barrie, K.P, Ollivier, F.J, Hendrix, D.V.H, Baker, A, Scotty, N.C, Utter, M.E, Blackwood, S.E, Nunnery, C.M, Ben-Shlomo, G, Gelatt, K.N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Malden, USA : Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.03.2008; Blackwell Publishing Inc
• Subjects: allografting; Animals; cornea; corneal diseases; Corneal Diseases - therapy; Corneal Diseases - veterinary; Corneal Transplantation - methods; Corneal Transplantation - veterinary; deep endothelial lamellar keratoplasty; deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty; disease course; Female; graft rejection; Graft Rejection - veterinary; horse; horse diseases; Horse Diseases - therapy; Horses; infection; inflammation; keratitis; Male; methodology; penetrating keratoplasty; posterior lamellar keratoplasty; postoperative complications; Retrospective Studies; stromal abscess; tissue degeneration; tissue transplantation; Treatment Outcome; vascular diseases; vision; Visual Acuity - physiology
• ISSN: 1463-5216; 1463-5224
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2008.00611.x

To evaluate the visual outcome of three techniques of corneal transplantation surgery in treating severe inflammatory keratopathies in the horse. Retrospective medical records study. Medical records of 206 horses that received corneal transplantation surgery at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center from 1993 to 2007 were reviewed. Data collected from the medical records included signalment, types of ocular lesions, type of transplant surgery performed, length of follow-up, complications, and visual outcomes. Full thickness penetrating keratoplasty (PK) was performed in 86 horses for melting ulcers, iris prolapse/descemetoceles, and medically nonresponsive full thickness stromal abscesses (SA). Posterior lamellar keratoplasty (PLK) and deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) are split thickness penetrating keratoplasties that were utilized for medically nonresponsive deep stromal abscesses (DSA) in 54 and 66 eyes, respectively. The most common postoperative surgical complication was graft rejection and varying degrees of graft opacification. Wound dehiscence and aqueous humor leakage was also a common postoperative problem. A positive visual outcome was achieved for PK, PLK, and DLEK in 77.9%, 98.1%, and 89.4%, respectively. Corneal transplantation is a tectonically viable surgery in the horse with an overall success rate of 88.5% in maintaining vision when treating vascularized and infected corneal disease in the horse.