Effect of collagen shields on corneal epithelialization following penetrating keratoplasty.

To evaluate the effects of collagen shields on corneal epithelial healing following keratoplasty, we conducted a prospective study of 89 consecutive penetrating keratoplasty patients over a 9-month period, applying collagen shields in alternate cases. Eyes were evaluated on the first and on the eighth postoperative day. The appearance of the epithelium was graded on a scale from 0 to 4. Independent variables, such as donor age, patient age, patient and donor sex, death to preservation time, and donor time in K-Sol media prior to surgery, were also evaluated. Donor corneas treated with collagen demonstrated less epithelial staining and smaller epithelial defects on the first day following surgery. The results were evaluated with a Student's t test and were found to be significant (P less than 0.001). We conclude that the application of porcine collagen shields following keratoplasty is an effective means of encouraging reepithelialization of the graft.