[Corneal transplantation in Hungary. Data of the National Keratoplasty Registry 1992-1996].

Upon the request of the National Transplantation Committee a nationwide keratoplasty register is functioning at the Department of Ophtalmology, University Medical School of Debrecen. Since then at the end of each year we collected data from the University Departments and Hospitals performing corneal transplantation concerning their keratoplasties and related activities. According to the acquired data the number of corneal transplantations performed in Hungary was 299 in 1992, 298 in 1993, 320 in 1994, 426 in 1995, and 479 in 1996. Keratoplasties in Hungary were performed in 6 University Departments and in 13 Hospitals, all together in 19 institutions in the past five years. The overwhelming majority of corneal transplantations (in 1995 95.8% and in 1996 96.4%) were penetrating keratoplasties. The ratios of lamellar keratoplasties in 1995 and in 1996 were 3.0% and 2.5%, respectively. The ratios of sclerokeratoplasties were slightly above 1% in both years. The distributions of implanted fresh and preserved (eye bank) corneas were around 50-50% in these two years so, that in 1995 a somewhat more and in 1996 somewhat less preserved corneas were used. This ratio for preserved corneas was less than 20% in the period between 1992 and 1994. The law regulating the procurement and the transplantation of corneas is based on presumed consent and explicit objection which is the better type of regulation for the performance of keratoplasties in large numbers. The number of corneal transplantations in Hungary in the past years was close to the figures of industrial countries (England, Germany) calculated for similar populations, inspite of the fact that financing was in many respects unacceptable.