title: Surgical technique of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty in descemetoceles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a surgical technique of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) to treat patients with descemetocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve eyes of 12 patients with central or paracentral descemetocele after resolved microbial keratitis underwent viscoelastic-assisted DALK. The mean follow-up of the cases was 19.91 ± 15.80 months (range: 6-48 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all the eyes, a successful DALK could be performed without any intraoperative complications. At the last follow-up visit, all but 1 eye showed significant improvement in visual acuity compared with preoperative visual acuity. The postoperative best-corrected visual acuity did not improve in 1 patient because of glaucomatous optic atrophy, which was present preoperatively. Eight eyes had best-corrected visual acuity of ≥ 20/80, and all but 2 patients had clear grafts at the final follow-up. None of the patients had any evidence of graft infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Viscoelastic-assisted DALK is a useful therapeutic option in selected cases of descemetocele after resolved microbial keratitis.
authors.affiliation: Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. namrata103@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Namrata
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Chandrashekhar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Rashim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mannan
authors.forename: Jeewan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Titiyal
authors.forename: Rasik B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Vajpayee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003886:Descemet Membrane / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006547:Hernia / Q000209:etiology; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors; D055675:Viscosupplements / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055675:Viscosupplements