FIVE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF CORNEAL MORPHOLOGY AND CORNEAL REFRACTIVE POWER CHANGES AFTER UNEVENTFUL DMEK
Published 2025 - 29th ESCRS Winter Meeting
Reference: FP05.09 | Type: Free Paper | DOI: 10.82333/g0dr-zb13
Authors: Konstantinos Droutsas* 1 , Maria Evanthia Sotirianakou 1 , Walter Sekundo 2 , Frank Michael Schroeder 2 , Theodoros Arvanitis 1 , Apostolos Lazaridis 2
1First Department of Ophthalmology, Genaral Hospital of Athens ''G.Gennimatas'',National and Kapodistrian University of Athens,Athens,Greece, 2Department of Ophthalmology,Philipps University of Marburg,Marburg,Germany
Purpose
Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) results in restoration of central corneal thickness and induces a decrease of total corneal refractive power (TCRP) and a subsequent hyperopic shift due to corneal dehydration. Our purpose is to investigate changes of corneal thickness spatial profile (CTSP), corneal volume (CV) distribution, and TCRP over a course of 60 months after uneventful DMEK.
Setting
We studied sixty uneventful DMEK cases performed at the Philipps University of Marburg Germany.
Methods
In our prospective, comparative study, sixty DMEK cases without intraoperative and postoperative complications and with complete 60-month follow-up were included (group 1). CTSP at corneal apex (CCT) and at 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm rings, CV in 3 mm, 5 mm, 7 mm, and 10 mm zones, and TCRF in 2 mm, 4 mm 6 mm, and 8 mm zones were evaluated preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 60 months postoperatively. The 60-month results were compared to an age-matched group of uncomplicated pseudophakic eyes (group 2; n = 20).
Results
The CCT and CTSP at 2, 4, and 6 mm increased significantly at 60 months compared to 3-month outcomes (P < 0.001). Similarly, CV increased significantly in 3 mm, 5 mm, and 7 mm zones at 60 months compared to 3 months outcomes (P < 0.001). The TCRP showed in all zones a significant decrease at 3 months (P < 0.001) followed by a continuous and significant increase at 60 months (P < 0.001). The 60-month CCT and CTSP at 2 mm were similar to group 2 (P ≥ 0.094).
Conclusion
Sixty months after uneventful DMEK, CT within the central 2 mm zone and CV at 3 mm zone were similar to uncomplicated pseudophakic eyes. Furthermore, DMEK induces a decrease of TCRP ( hyperopic shift) up to 3 months, followed by a continuous and statistically significant increase of TCRP (myopic shift) in all measured zones after the 3-month examination.