TRENDS IN CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION IN A MEXICAN OPHTHALMOLOGICAL REFERENCE CENTER: 12 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Purpose : The purpose of a corneal transplant is to rehabilitate the patient with corneal pathology to improve their bio-psycho-social state and help to re-incorporate them into society. Therefore, it is essential to characterize the epidemiology and clinical profile of our population. A descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the characteristics of the donors and their corneal tissue, as well as the patients receiving corneal transplants at our institution.

Methods : All patients who received a cornea transplant in its different modalities at the Institute of Ophthalmology “Conde de Valenciana” in Mexico City, from January 2011 to December 2022 were included. Variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics and measures of central tendency with the statistical program STATA v 17.0 (StataCorp, Texas, USA). A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results : A total of 1251 transplants performed during the period January 2011-December 2022 were analyzed. The main indication for transplantation was bullous keratopathy, followed by keratoconus and previous graft failure. Our recipient patients had an average age of 52.78 years and 51.88% were men. The average time from death to procurement was 7.98 hours and the average for endothelial count in our donor corneas was 2884.22 cells/mm². The most frequently performed surgery was penetrating keratoplasty for optical purposes, followed by tectonic keratoplasty and DSAEK (Descemet Stripping with Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty) in third place.

Conclusions : We report the trends in demographic characteristics of donor and recipient patients and procedures performed during the last 12 years in an ophthalmological referral center in Mexico. It is worth mentioning that a high percentage of our donor tissue was not national. Understanding the epidemiological profile and clinical characteristics of our patients helps us optimize the care provided and the processes involved in corneal transplantation in our country.

This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.