Surgery for glaucoma in modern corneal graft procedures

To describe Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) with organ cultured Descemet membrane (DM) in a human cadaver eye model and a patient with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy. In 10 human cadaver eyes and 1 patient eye, a 3.5-mm clear corneal tunnel incision was made. The anterior chamber was filled with air, and the DM was stripped off from the posterior stroma. From organ-cultured donor corneo-scleral rims, 9.0-mm-diameter "DM rolls" were harvested. Each donor DM roll was inserted into a recipient anterior chamber, positioned onto the posterior stroma, and kept in position by completely filling the anterior chamber with air for 30 minutes. In all recipient eyes, the donor DM maintained its position after a 30-minute air-fill of the anterior chamber followed by an air-liquid exchange. In the patient's eye, 1 week after transplantation, best-corrected visual acuity was 1.0 (20/20) with the patient's preoperative refraction, and the endothelial cell density averaged 2350 cells/mm. DMEK may provide quick visual rehabilitation in the treatment of corneal endothelial disorders by transplantation of an organ-cultured DM transplanted through a clear corneal tunnel incision. DMEK may be a highly accessible procedure to corneal surgeons, because donor DM sheets can be prepared from preserved corneo-scleral rims.

To evaluate the speed of visual recovery in 16 consecutive patients with corneal endothelial dysfunction who received Descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). This is a retrospective study of a novel method for small-incision endothelial transplantation (DSAEK). Endothelial replacement was accomplished with Descemet stripping of the recipient and insertion of a posterior donor tissue that had been prepared with a microkeratome. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) by manifest refraction, endothelial counts, and dislocation rates were measured up to 12 months after DSAEK. Sixteen consecutive patients underwent uncomplicated DSAEK. Three patients had known optic nerve or macular disease precluding vision better than 20/200. Of the remaining 14 patients, 11 had BSCVA of 20/40 by postoperative week 12 (7 by week 6). The remaining 2 were 20/50 by weeks 6 and 12. All 14 patients were 20/40 or better at 1 year. One patient had a primary graft failure, and surgery was repeated with 20/40 BSCVA at 1 year. The dislocation rate was 25%. The average cell count between 7 and 10 months was 1714. The average pachymetry was 682. DSAEK surgery allows rapid, excellent BSCVA visual recovery. The rate of visual recovery is more rapid than usually found with penetrating keratoplasty.

To review the published literature on safety and outcomes of Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) for the surgical treatment of endothelial diseases of the cornea. Peer-reviewed literature searches were conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane Library with the most recent search in February 2009. The searches yielded 2118 citations in English-language journals. The abstracts of these articles were reviewed and 131 articles were selected for possible clinical relevance, of which 34 were determined to be relevant to the assessment objectives. The most common complications from DSEK among reviewed reports included posterior graft dislocations (mean, 14%; range, 0%-82%), followed by endothelial graft rejection (mean, 10%; range, 0%-45%), primary graft failure (mean, 5%; range, 0%-29%), and iatrogenic glaucoma (mean, 3%; range, 0%-15%). Average endothelial cell loss as measured by specular microscopy ranged from 25% to 54%, with an average cell loss of 37% at 6 months, and from 24% to 61%, with an average cell loss of 42% at 12 months. The average best-corrected Snellen visual acuity (mean, 9 months; range, 3-21 months) ranged from 20/34 to 20/66. A review of postoperative refractive results found induced hyperopia ranging from 0.7 to 1.5 diopters (D; mean, 1.1 D), with minimal induced astigmatism ranging from -0.4 to 0.6 D and a mean refractive shift of 0.11 D. A review of graft survival found that clear grafts at 1 year ranged from 55% to 100% (mean, 94%). The evidence reviewed is supportive of DSEK being a safe and effective treatment for endothelial diseases of the cornea. In terms of surgical risks, complication rates, graft survival (clarity), visual acuity, and endothelial cell loss, DSEK appears similar to penetrating keratoplasty (PK). It seems to be superior to PK in terms of earlier visual recovery, refractive stability, postoperative refractive outcomes, wound and suture-related complications, and intraoperative and late suprachoroidal hemorrhage risk. The most common complications of DSEK do not appear to be detrimental to the ultimate vision recovery in most cases. Long-term endothelial cell survival and the risk of late endothelial rejection are beyond the scope of this assessment. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.