Current Australian practice in the prevention and management of corneal allograft rejection

Purpose : To determine current practices in the prevention and management of corneal allograft rejection in Australia. Methods : A questionnaire was circulated to attendees at the 1998 Eye Bank Meeting in Adelaide. Twenty‐four responses were received and analysed. Results : All respondents used topical corticosteroids for routine prophylaxis and to treat established rejection episodes. Prednisolone acetate was the most frequently prescribed topical corticosteroid. Systemic non‐steroidal immunosuppression was prescribed almost exclusively for high‐risk grafts. Seventy‐five per cent of surgeons used systemic antiviral agents for the treatment of graft rejection in patients with Herpes simplex keratitis. Conclusion : There was a wide variation amongst surgeons in the choice of therapy for routine prophylactic immunosuppression as well as for the treatment of established corneal allograft rejection.