Higher rate of postoperative complications seen in DMEK

[caption id="attachment_16518" align="alignleft" width="1024"] Mor Dickman[/caption] DESCEMET Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) and ultrathin Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (UT-DSAEK) achieved broadly similar visual outcomes but with a higher complication rate for DMEK, according to the results of a multi-centre randomised controlled trial presented at the 10th EuCornea congress. “We found no significant difference in mean postoperative visual acuity although a higher proportion of DMEK patients attained better visual acuity. The endothelial cell loss was comparable after both techniques, stabilising after three months. However, there were more complications following DMEK in terms of re-bubbling and re-grafts,” said Mor Dickman MD, PhD, University Eye Clinic, Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands, who presented the study outcomes yesterday. Carried out at six clinics in the Netherlands, the prospective randomised study compared best-corrected visual acuity, endothelial cell density and complications after DMEK and UT-DSAEK in 54 eyes of 54 patients with Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy. Patients treated with DMEK experienced faster recovery of contrast sensitivity and straylight, while there was no statistical difference in total corneal aberrations or vision-related quality of life outcomes. The study concluded overall that DMEK was more costly and less effective than UT-DSAEK, and was therefore not cost-effective.

Tags: dmek, Ultrathin DSAEK