Clinical and morphometric results of penetrating keratoplasty with one-piece anterior-chamber or suture-fixated posterior-chamber lenses in the absence of lens capsule.

The clinical records and serial corneal endothelial images of 25 acapsular, pseudophakic eyes with Kelman-style, one-piece, anterior-chamber intraocular lenses and 24 acapsular, pseudophakic eyes with suture-fixated, posterior-chamber intraocular lenses following penetrating keratoplasty were reviewed to determine clinical success and endothelial survival after 1 year. Twenty-two (88%) of 25 grafts in the anterior-chamber intraocular lens group and 23 (96%) of 24 grafts in the sutured posterior-chamber intraocular lens group were clear after 1 year; best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better was noted in 25% of the eyes in the anterior-chamber intraocular lens group and 29% of the eyes in the sutured posterior-chamber intraocular lens group. The mean intraocular pressure for the anterior-chamber intraocular lens group was significantly lower than for the sutured posterior-chamber intraocular lens group at 3 months (17 +/- 4 vs 21 +/- 7 mm Hg) and at 6 months (17 +/- 3 vs 20 +/- 5 mm Hg); but did not differ at 1 year. The mean percent of endothelial cell loss after 1 year did not differ between the anterior-chamber intraocular lens group (32% +/- 26%) and the sutured posterior-chamber intraocular lens group (27% +/- 26%). No clinical or endothelial morphometric advantages were noted after 1 year for the suture-fixated, posterior-chamber intraocular lens over the Kelman-style, one-piece anterior chamber, intraocular lens following pseudophakic penetrating keratoplasty; however, a long-term, prospective, randomized study of these two intraocular lens types is recommended.