title: [Preliminary clinical study of sutureless, small-incision deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty surgery].
abstract: 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.
authors: Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology of the Ministry of Education, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Huang
authors: Jia-qi
authors: JQ
authors: Chen
authors: Yu-juan
authors: YJ
authors: Wang
authors: Ying-feng
authors: YF
authors: Shao
authors: Long-shan
authors: LS
authors: Chen
authors: Zhi-chong
authors: ZC
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: 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