Impact of pandemic COVID-19 lockdown on penetrating keratoplasty patients.

Purpose: To study the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the regular follow-up of keratoplasty patients.

Methods: This retrospective interventional case series included 30 patients who had immunological corneal endothelial rejection out of 190 patients who came for post-PKP follow-up between September 15, 2019, and September 30, 2020. The demographics, primary diagnosis, surgical technique, time of presentation, recovery of graft, associated ocular problems, and visual acuity at 1 month were analyzed. Forward stepwise (likelihood ratio) binary logistic regression was used to find significant variables.

Results: The study population had 19 males (63.33%) and 11 females (36.67%). The mean age of the study group was 42.83 ± 18.89 (8-80) years. Of 30 patients, 19 (63.3%) presented before and 11 (36.7%) after the COVID-19 lockdown. Overall, 23 (77%) showed a reversal of graft rejection. Logistic regression showed that preoperative indications, large-sized grafts, and deep corneal vascularization were significant risk factors for non-resolution of graft rejection. It was noted that patients who presented to the hospital late had poor recovery (P = 0.002). The delay in the presentation was a significant risk factor for non-resolution of graft rejection (P < 0.01). Z-test for proportions revealed that the difference in the non-resolution of rejection on immediate or delayed treatment in patients presenting during lockdown (P = 0.002) was significant.

Conclusion: This article is to highlight the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on graft rejection recovery of PKP patients due to delays in follow-up. Early treatment helps in the recovery of graft transparency and the reversal of immunological graft rejection. Also, primary diagnosis, deep vascularization, and large-sized grafts were significant risk factors for non-resolution of graft rejection.