ESCRS - PO0600 - Effect Of Covid‑19 Related National Lockdown On Care Of Corneal Transplantation Patients At A Tertiary Eye Care Centre In India

Effect Of Covid‑19 Related National Lockdown On Care Of Corneal Transplantation Patients At A Tertiary Eye Care Centre In India

Published 2023 - 41st Congress of the ESCRS

Reference: PO0600 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/kj90-gp33

Authors: Sushank Ashok Bhalerao* 1 , Pratik Gogri 2 , Sowjanya Vuyyuru 1 , Uma Thigale 3

1Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery Department,L V Prasad Eye Institute,Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh,India, 2Cornea,Cataract and Refractive Surgery Department,Dr Agarwals Eye Institute,Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra,India, 3Cornea,Cataract and Refractive Surgery Department,L V Prasad Eye Institute,Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh,India

Purpose

  • To study impact of COVID-19 related national lockdown on care of patients who underwent corneal transplantation at a tertiary eye centre in the state of  Andhra Pradesh in South India.

Setting

  • It was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted at tertiary eye care centre in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India

Methods

  • It included 109 patients who underwent full thickness or partial thickness keratoplasty at our centre and who visited hospital for follow-up
    visit after lockdown.
  • Factors like indication, type, number of keratoplasties in the operated eye, and unusual clinical outcomes identified during visit after the lockdown, were studied.
  • Uncorrected visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity, graft-host junction apposition, clarity of graft, intactness of sutures, intraocular pressure and status of the disc were compared on visits made before and after lockdown.

Results

  • During lockdown, 77.1% patients were properly using medications that was significantly (P = 0.0003) lower than that of before the lockdown (90.8%). After the lockdown, 82.3% patients were using medications properly that was comparable (P = 0.11) to that of during the lockdown (77.1%).
  • The proportion of eyes with intact sutures and clear grafts decreased significantly after lockdown.
  • The unusual outcomes observed after the lockdown were graft failure (36.7%), graft edema (11%), graft infiltrate(5.5%), phthysis bulbi (1.85%) and
    edematous graft cleared in eyes 3.7% eyes.

Conclusions

  • We found significant drop in usage of medications from 91% before lockdown to 77% during lockdown and maintained at 83% after lockdown.
  • Percentage of edematous grafts increased from 41% before lockdown to 54% after the lockdown.
  • Intactness of sutures decreased from 82% before lockdown to 69% after lockdown.
  • Lenticule attachment, GHJ apposition, BCVA, IOP and disc status were not affected significantly because of the national lockdown.
  • Need for proper usage of medications, importance of teleconsultation, post‑operative care and regular follow ups despite crisis period should be re‑stressed to determine the success of any type of keratoplasty and consequent visual rehabilitation of the patient suffering from corneal blindness.