Current Australian practice in the prevention and management of corneal allograft rejection

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine current practices in the prevention and management of corneal allograft rejection in Australia. METHODS: A questionnaire was circulated to attendees at the 1998 Eye Bank Meeting in Adelaide. Twenty-four responses were received and analysed. RESULTS: All respondents used topical corticosteroids for routine prophylaxis and to treat established rejection episodes. Prednisolone acetate was the most frequently prescribed topical corticosteroid. Systemic non-steroidal immunosuppression was prescribed almost exclusively for high-risk grafts. Seventy-five per cent of surgeons used systemic antiviral agents for the treatment of graft rejection in patients with Herpes simplex keratitis. CONCLUSION: There was a wide variation amongst surgeons in the choice of therapy for routine prophylactic immunosuppression as well as for the treatment of established corneal allograft rejection.