Evaluation The Negative Effects Of The Covid 19 Pandemic On Patients With Corneal Transplantation

It is aimed to evaluate the preventable complications and outcomes that developed during the Covid 19 period in patients who had previously undergone corneal transplantation.

Our study is a retrospective cross-sectional study

The files of the patients who underwent corneal transplantation between March 2019- March 2020, and were followed up between March 2020- March 2021 in the Eye Bank of Ersin Aslan Training and Research Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who could not come to their controls in time and developed complications during this period of time (March 2020- March 2021), when strict quarantine measures were taken due to Covid 19 pandemic, were evaluated.The patients were evaluated according to whether they applied to the hospital in the early period or not and whether medical or surgical treatment was applied to the applicants. Finally, it was evaluated whether graft loss developed in these patients.

The number of corneal transplants performed between March 2019 and 2020 was 45. It was observed that complications developed in 12 (26.6%) of these patients, whose control examinations could not be performed in time during the pandemic period, and graft failure developed in 4 (8,8%) of them. Early treatment could not be started in 3 of them because they could not apply to the ophthalmologist, resulting in graft loss. The problem was solved by treatment in 8 patients who developed complications and applied to the doctor because of their complaints.

The Covid 19 pandemic has also had major negative effects in the field of ophthalmology. As a result, the pandemic has adversely affected the lives of patients waiting for corneal transplants and patients who have had corneal transplantation before. Our study also clarified some of these negative effects.