Indications for lamellar keratoplasty in India.

Purpose: To study the indications for lamellar keratoplasty (LK) in a tertiary eye care hospital in northern India.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 71 eyes that had undergone LK between January 1995 and December 1999 was performed. The parameters evaluated included demographic data, the diagnosis at admission, the laterality of involvement, and the graft size.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 31 +/- 21.8 years (range, 1-73 years). Forty-one male patients and 30 female patients underwent LK. Thirty-three patients (47%) lived in rural areas, and 38 patients (53%) were urban dwellers. LK was performed for optical indications in 63 eyes (88.7%), for tectonic purposes in six eyes (8.4%), and for therapeutic purposes in two eyes (2.8%). Chemical injuries (18%) were the most common indication for LK and were followed by trachomatous keratopathy (14%) and dermoids (14%).

Conclusion: Chemical injuries, trachomatous keratopathy, and dermoids constitute the major indications for LK in India.