A comparison of corneal autografts with homografts.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To determine whether ensured graft acceptance through the use of corneal autografts yields a better outcome than when standard homografts are used.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Four patients who needed a corneal transplant in one eye and who had a blind fellow eye underwent a corneal autograft in the eye with corneal pathology.

RESULTS

Three of the four patients had clear grafts on long-term follow-up, and no patient experienced immunologic graft rejection. However, two of the four patients had large amounts of astigmatism postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

Autografts provided protection against immunologic graft rejection. However, because corneal autografts yielded unpredictable amounts of astigmatism, their outcomes are not necessarily better than those of homografts.