What type of astigmatism is likely to occur after Penetrating Keratoplasty surgery?

After Penetrating Keratoplasty surgery, irregular astigmatism is the type most commonly associated with the procedure. During this surgery, a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced with donor corneal tissue. The healing process can lead to variations in corneal curvature, which do not follow a specific pattern, resulting in irregular astigmatism. This type of astigmatism disrupts the normal smooth refractive surfaces of the eye, causing distorted vision.

Irregular astigmatism can arise from various factors post-surgery, including differences in the curvature of the donor cornea compared to the recipient's eye, irregular healing patterns, and scarring. These factors contribute to the uneven shape of the cornea that characterizes irregular astigmatism, impacting visual acuity more significantly than regular forms of astigmatism.

Understanding this association is crucial for post-operative care and patient management, as it necessitates different approaches to correction compared to regular astigmatism. Regular astigmatism, on the other hand, typically results from consistent and predictable variations in curvature, which isn't the case following penetrating keratoplasty.