Diagnosis and treatment of complications in the follow-up period after corneal transplantation.

Corneal transplantations are usually performed in Eye Clinics. The patient's own ophthalmologist usually performs the follow-up examinations because the patients often live a long way from the Clinic. It is very important that these ophthalmologists can diagnose the complications which may occur in the follow-up period and know how to treat them. The complications considered are: glaucoma, marginal infiltrations, epithelial defects suture infections, wound dehiscence, disturbances of the tear-film and recurrent herpes. Special mention is made of the rejection reaction. This has been recognized for a long time and has received increasing attention in recent years. Both local and general noxae can act as trigger and set off a rejection reaction. Epithelial, endothelial and uveal forms of rejection reaction are recognized. The sooner the immune reaction is recognized and the correct therapy started, the greater the change that graft will become clear again.