Table 4.
Clinical results, complications, and follow-up
| Ref. | Complications | Stable ocular surface, n/N (%) | VA improvement, n/N (%) | Improvement in at least 2 lines of BCVA, n/N (%) | Mean follow-up ± SD (range) in months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [13] | Corneal epithelial defect/bacterial infection × 2 | 6/6 (100) | 6/6 (100) | 6/6 (100) | 13.8 ± 2.9 (11–17) |
| [14] | No complications | 4/4 (100) | 4/4 (100) | 4/4 (100) | 14 (13–15) |
| [15] | Epithelial defect × 5 | 13/15 (86.7) | 12/15 (80) | 12/15 (80) | 20 (3–34) |
| [16] | No complication | 2/2 (100) | 2/2 (100) | 2/2 (100) | 22.5 (19–26) |
| [17] | Bacterial infection × 1, epithelial defects × 4 | 10/10 (100) | 9/10 (90) | 9/10 (90) | 12.6 ± 3.9 (8–19) |
| [18] | Bacterial infection × 1, recurrent small epithelial defects × NA | 4/6 (66.7) | NA | NA | NA |
| [19] | Increased intraocular pressure × 1 | 4/4 (100) | 4/4 (100) | 4/4 (100) | 16 (6–24) |
| [20] | NA | NA | 4/4 (100) | 4/4 (100) | 31 (27–35) |
| [21] | Microperforation × 1, PED × 1 | NA | 5/5 (100) | 5/5 (100) | 29.6 ± 3.6 (26–34) |
| [22] | Corneal graft rejection × 2 | 5/10 (50) | 5/10 (50) | 3/10 (30) | 18.6 (1–38) |
| [23] | PED × 19, stromal melting or perforation × 8, corneal infection 3 (bacterial infection × 2, recurrence of epithelial herpes simplex × 1), glaucoma × 8 (3 were new), evisceration × 2 | 23/40 (57.5) | 23,6/40 (59) | NA d | 25.5 (6–54.9) |
| [24] | PED × 7, bacterial infection × 1, ocular hypertension × 3 | NA | 18/19 (95) | 15/19 (79) | 55 ± 17 (36–90) |
| [25] | Recurrence of entropion × 1, epithelial defect × 1, Symblepharon 1 | 2/3 (66.7)a | NA | NA | 30 (11–50) |
| [26] | Symblepharon × 1, Pain and graft complication × 1, inflammation × 2, corneal graft rejection × 1, keratitis × 1, increased IOP × 1, corneal perforation × 1, Meibomian cyst × 1, pain and corneal recurrence × 1 | NAb | 17/23 (73.91) c | 16/23 (69.5)c | 11.83 (NA) |
| [27] | Small epithelial defect × 1, PED × 10, ocular hypertension × 3 |
Substrate-free: 10/16 (62.5) AM: 6/16 (37.5) Total: 16/32 (50) |
Substrate-free: 11/16 (68.8) AM: 7/16 (43.8) Total: 18/32 (56.3) |
Substrate-free: 11/16 (68.8) AM: 7/16 (43.8) Total: 18/32 (56.3) |
25.26 ± 10.8 (14.45–36.08) (substrate-free)e 33.73 ± 17 (16,68–50.79) (AM) |
| [28] | Glaucoma × 1 | 6/6 (100) | 6/6 (100) | 6/6 (100) | 36.7 + 17 (16–56) |
| [29] | Hepatic dysfunction × 1, drug-induced allergy × 1, PED × 16, corneal stromal melting × 2, keratitis × 1, endophthalmitis × 1, infiltration × 3, increased IOP × 4 | NA | 26/46 (56.52) | 25/46 (54.3) | 28.7 (6.2–85.6) |
| [30] | Epithelial defect × 3, increased IOP × 2, bacterial infection × 1 | 10/10 (100) | 2/10 (20) | 2/10 (20) | 22.79 (5.6–39.7) |
| [31] | Central corneal epithelial defect × 1 | 2/2 (100) | 2/2 (100) | 2/2 (100) | 31 (21–41) |
| [32] | Stromal scarring or conjunctival vascularization or stromal vascularization × 3, epithelial defect × 4 | 13/17 (76.5) | 15/17 (88.2) | 15/17 (88.2) | 16 (12–18) |
| [33] | PED × 1, perforation × 1 | 15/20 (75) | 14/20 (70)d | NA | 31.9 ± 12.1 (8–50) |
| [34] | Epithelial defect × 3, PED × 1, bacterial keratitis × 1, increased IOP × 2, endothelial graft rejection × 4 | 13/14 (92.9) | 14/14 (100) | 14/14 (100) | 28.2 ± 8.0 (14–40) |
| [35] | Central epithelial defect × 1, symblepharon × 1, PED × 1, primary failure × 1, recurrence of an epithelial defect × 2 | 6/8 (75) | 5/8 (62.5) | 5/8 (62.5) | 9.96 ± 4.7 (2.07–15,8)f |
| [36] | Epithelial defect × 3, PED × 9, increased IOP × 2, stroma melting × 5 | 18/34 (52.94) | 14/34 (41.17) | 5/34 (14.7) | 16.1 ± 5.8 (range NA) |
| Total | 172/243 (70.78) | 225.6/331 (68.15) | 172/271 (63.46) |
n/N number of eyes/total number of eyes, BCVA best-corrected visual acuity, IOP intraocular pressure, NA not available, PED persistent epithelial defect, VA visual acuity
a100% after repeated transplantation
bThere was a success rate of 16/25 (64%), but it is based on a composition of criteria, not on a stable ocular surface per se
cIt excluded from the results two patients who had serious adverse events
dThere is no mention if visual improvement was at least of two lines
eFollow-up was originally given in weeks as it follows: 109.8 ± 47 weeks (substrate-free) and 146.6 ± 74.1 weeks (AM)
fFollow-up was originally given in days as it follows: 303 ± 144 (63–482) days