Retinal detachment after penetrating keratoplasty shows distinct traction pattern
Retinal detachment after penetrating keratoplasty (PK) is rare (1.32%) but shows a distinct traction pattern driven by severe anterior proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), often without retinal breaks, a study found.
A large retrospective review analyzed 3,241 eyes from 2,884 patients who underwent PK, with a mean follow-up of 7.7 years.
Retinal detachment developed in 1.32% of eyes after PK. On average, detachment occurred 28.3 months after surgery, with earlier onset observed in eyes that had undergone multiple PK procedures. A distinct form of traction retinal detachment was identified. During pars plana vitrectomy, anterior PVR was found in 73.9% of cases. This anterior PVR displaced the retina and vitreous base forward, leading to RD without identifiable retinal breaks.
In eyes with opaque corneas, endoscope-assisted pars plana vitrectomy was associated with better visual acuity outcomes and higher rates of silicone oil removal compared with standard techniques. In contrast, eyes with clear grafts were more likely to retain silicone oil.
Reference
Hao Y, Fang Y, Zheng P, et al. Characteristics and Vitreoretinal Management of Retinal Detachment in Eyes after Penetrating Keratoplasty in a 10-Year Study. Retina. 2026 Feb 10. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004798. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41671515.
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