Penetrating Keratoplasty, Deep Lamellar Endothelial Keratoplasty, and Posterior Lamellar Keratoplasty in the Horse

Corneal transplantation is a viable and successful surgical technique in the horse. Full thickness penetrating keratoplasty (PK) may be performed for melting ulcers, iris prolapse/descemetoceles, and full thickness stromal abscesses (SA). Deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) and posterior lamellar keratoplasty (PLK) are split thickness penetrating keratoplasties utilized for deep stromal abscesses (DSA) with clear overlying anterior stroma. Frozen donor grafts can be used successfully for transplants in the horse eye. Corneal transplants in horses are associated with high success rates, good visual outcomes (>80%), and shorter treatment times than medical treatment alone of these eye problems alone, but the corneal transplants in horses do vascularize, have some degree of opacity, and thus exhibit some degree of graft rejection.