title: [Precut technique for Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty, preparation and storage in organ culture].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The preparation of the Descemet's membrane (DM) with the endothelial cell layer may be performed directly prior to surgery or as a precut tissue procedure. The purpose of the current study was the evaluation of the preparation technique and the tissue culture of 10 days regarding potential endothelial cell loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten corneoscleral rims with an average age of 64.3 years were dissected to obtain 8.5 mm in diameter endothelial-DM complexes, which subsequently were organ cultured for 10 days. The endothelial cell density (ECD) was assessed during the cell culture period at days 1., 4., 7. and 10. In addition, time of preparation and transplant morphology were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DM with the endothelial cell layer could successfully be dissected from all corneoscleral rims. The average preparation time was 8.3 min. The average ECD count was 2183 ± 77 cells/mm2 prior to, 2094 ± 110 cells/ mm2 at day 1, 2078 ± 134 cells/mm2 at day 4, 1977 ± 107 cells/mm2 at day 7 and 1898 ± 170 cells/mm2 at day 10 after preparation, respectively. Endothelial cell loss was 4.1 %, 4.8 %, 9.4 % and 13.1 % after preparation, respectively. None of the transplants exhibited large, centrally-located cell deficits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The isolated storage of DM with the endothelial layer, without any stromal remnants, showed gratifying results under storage conditions in organ culture with a moderate ECD decrease. Hence, the implementation of a precut DMEK is conceivable.
authors: Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Department für Augenheilkunde.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Bayyoud
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Röck
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Hofmann
authors: K-U
authors: KU
authors: Bartz-Schmidt
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Yoeruek
mesh_terms: D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology* / Q000601:surgery*; D057111:Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D014022:Tissue Survival