Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty After Failed Penetrating Keratoplasty

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) performed after previous penetrating keratoplasty (PK) failure and to describe primary outcomes. Methods: Twenty-eight eyes of 28 patients who underwent DMEK after primary PK failure between January 2013 and November 2017 were included in this single-center retrospective study. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, endothelial cell density, and the recipient's central corneal thickness were recorded preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Results: The main indications for primary PK were keratoconus (32%), Fuchs dystrophy (18%), and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (14%). After a 6-month follow-up, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was significantly improved in 26 patients (93%) with a mean gain of +0.59 ± 0.47 LogMAR (P
Source: Cornea - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Clinical Science Source Type: research