Posters

Causes of primary DMEK failure and outcomes of secondary DMEK

Poster Details

First Author: K.Droutsas GREECE

Co Author(s): P. Alexopoulos   A. Lazaridis   E. Giallouros   W. Sekundo   C. Koutsandrea        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To report causes of primary DMEK failure and outcomes of secondary DMEK.

Setting:

Cornea Service of a tertiary academic center

Methods:

The medical records of all patients undergoing secondary DMEK due to failure of primary DMEK were reviewed. Reasons for failure of the first DMEK were sought and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), endothelial cell density (ECD) and complications were evaluated.

Results:

Ten cases undergoing primary (failed) and secondary (repeat) DMEK were identified. Failure was attributed to low donor ECD (n=4), difficulty during graft preparation (n=2), graft detachment (n=2), acute angle closure (n=1), inverse graft positioning (n=1) and phacoemulsification (n=1). A BCVA of 0.5 or higher at 18 months was achieved in 7 cases. ECD fell from 2628 ± 284 cells/mm² to 959 ± 225cells/mm² at 24 months (P≤0.028). All secondary DMEK procedures were uneventful except for incomplete removal of the primary graft (n=1) and mild iris bleeding (n=2). Postoperative complications included decompensation of an open angle glaucoma and acute angle closure.

Conclusions:

Secondary DMEK showed a very good safety profile and reasonable visual outcomes in our series.

Financial Disclosure:

None