title: Three-year visual acuity outcomes after Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term improvement of visual acuity after Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of a noncomparative, interventional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eight patients undergoing DSAEK surgery for Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy without other ocular comorbidities who completed a full 3-year follow-up period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postoperative best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) was recorded at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Improvement in BSCVA between each time point was evaluated using paired-samples t tests. Subanalysis evaluating the percentage of eyes achieving a BSCVA of 20/20, 20/25, 20/30, and 20/40 at each time point was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Improvement in postoperative BSCVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant trend toward improvement in average BSCVA with time at postoperative month 6 and postoperative years 2 and 3. There were also increasing proportions of eyes reaching vision of 20/20, 20/25, and 20/30 from 6 months to 1 year, 1 year to 2 years, and 2 years to 3 years. The percentage of patients achieving 20/25 BSCVA improved from 36.1% at 6 months to 70.4% at 3 years after surgery. A similar increase in the percentage of patients reaching a BSCVA of 20/20 after DSAEK surgery also was observed from 11.1% at 6 months to approximately 47.2% at 3 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is gradual improvement of visual acuity over time after DSAEK surgery for Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy in patients without other vision-limiting ocular comorbidities.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
authors.affiliation: Corneal Services, Devers Eye Institute, Portland, Oregon 97210, USA. jennifer.li@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goshe
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davis-Boozer
authors.forename: Neda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shamie
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D057111:Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005642:Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*