Preliminary Clinical Reult of Decemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplaty Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To decribe the preliminary clinical reult of elective tranplantation of organ cultured, donor Decemet membrane (DM) carrying autologou corneal endothelium through a 3.5-mm inciion, tentatively named Decemet membrane endothelial keratoplaty (DMEK), for the management of corneal endothelial diorder. Deign Nonrandomized clinical tudy. Method In 10 patient with Fuch endothelial dytrophy or peudophakic bullou keratopathy, DMEK wa performed. A 3.5-mm clear corneal tunnel inciion wa made, the anterior chamber wa filled with air, and DM wa tripped off from the poterior troma. A 9.0-mm diameter DM roll wa harveted from an organ cultured donor corneo-cleral rim, and inerted into a recipient anterior chamber. The donor tiue wa gently unfolded, poitioned onto the poterior troma, and ecured by completely filling the anterior chamber with air for 30 minute. Reult At one month, ix eye had a bet-corrected viual acuity of 0.5 (20/40) or better, and three eye reached 1.0 (20/20). At ix month, the endothelial cell denity averaged 2030 (±373) cell/mm2 (n = 7). Three eye howed a complete detachment of the donor tiue in the early potoperative coure that wa managed by removal of the tranplant and a econdary Decemet tripping endothelial keratoplaty procedure. Concluion DMEK may have potential to become the mot preferable technique to manage corneal endothelial diorder, becaue it provide quick and nearly complete viual rehabilitation. Becaue the donor tiue required can be prepared from organ cultured corneo-cleral rim, the procedure may be readily acceable to mot corneal urgeon.