[Preliminary clinical study of sutureless, small-incision deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty surgery].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the surgical procedure, clinical efficacy, and the prevention and management of complications of sutureless, small-incision deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK).


METHODS
Nine patients (nine eyes) with bullous keratopathy underwent sutureless, small-incision DLEK surgery, six of them was combined with anterior vitrectomy. Visual acuity, graft clearance, corneal curvature, astigmatism and endothelial cell density (ECD) were observed over a 3 - 5 month follow-up period.


RESULTS
All grafts remained transparent, and six eyes had improved visual acuity. After the surgery, mean corneal curvature was (43.96 +/- 3.38) D. Mean corneal astigmatism was (3.32 +/- 1.20) diopter (D). Mean ECD was (2124 +/- 278) cells/mm(2). No severe complications occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
Sutureless, small-incision DLEK, as compared with penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and microkeratome-associated deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty, has more advantages and is expected to be the initial surgical treatment for bullous keratopathy.
Huang
Ting
T
Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology of the Ministry of Education, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Chen
Jia-qi
JQ
Wang
Yu-juan
YJ
Shao
Ying-feng
YF
Chen
Long-shan
LS
Wang
Zhi-chong
ZC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult