Changes in donor corneal lenticule thickness after Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) with organ-cultured corneas.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to quantify changes in donor and host corneal tissue after Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) using organ-cultured corneas and to correlate these findings with the visual acuity during intermediate-term follow-up.


METHODS
Fifteen eyes of 15 consecutive patients, with Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy treated with DSAEK using organ-cultured corneas, underwent ophthalmological examination, including slit lamp-adapted optical coherence tomography, at 1, 3 and 7 days, and 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 6 months after the surgery.


RESULTS
The mean best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) improved from 20/100 pre-operatively to 20/40 at 6-months post-operatively (p<0.0001). A continuous decrease of thickness of the grafted lenticule was observed during the follow-up (mean thickness immediately after surgery 191(SD 56) mum, compared with 100 (SD 38) mum 6 months after surgery, p<0.001). The central corneal thickness decreased from 1057 (SD 86) mum at the first post-operative day to 661 (SD 74) mum after 6 months. Both central corneal thickness and the thickness of the posterior donor lamella correlated with the 6-month BSCVA (Pearson correlations -0.745 and -0.589, respectively, p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Organ-cultured corneas can be used successfully for DSAEK. The thickness of the grafted corneal lenticule correlated with the BSCVA 6 months after the surgery. It decreased continuously during the follow-up period.
Pogorelov
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Department of Opthalmology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany. pavel.pogorelov@uk-erlangen.de
Cursiefen
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C
Bachmann
B O
BO
Kruse
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FE
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D003886:Descemet Membrane / Q000601:surgery*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005642:Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy / Q000601:surgery*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity