Influence of Intraoperative Air Tamponade Time on Graft Adherence in Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty

Purpose: To study the influence of different intraoperative air tamponade times on graft adherence after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). Methods: In this interventional case series, we evaluated 117 eyes with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) that underwent DMEK using intraoperative air tamponade times of 60 minutes (group I; n = 39), 45 minutes (group II; n = 39), or 30 minutes (group III; n = 39). At 1 and 6 months postoperatively, graft adherence status, endothelial cell density, central pachymetry, and postoperative complications were recorded. Results: At 1 month, 19 of the 117 eyes (16.2%) showed a clinically significant detachment (>1/3 of the graft surface area and affecting visual axis): 6 eyes in group I (15.4%), 5 eyes in group II (12.8%), and 8 eyes in group III (20.5%) (P = 0.82). A minor detachment (
Source: Cornea - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Clinical Science Source Type: research