A simple ex vivo model for teaching Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty

Session Details

Session Title: Cornea: Surgical I

Session Date/Time: Tuesday 08/09/2015 | 08:00-10:30

Paper Time: 08:18

Venue: Room 10

First Author: : K.Droutsas GREECE

Co Author(s): :    A. Lazaridis   S. Souki   G. Melles   A. Thoma   W. Sekundo   C. Koutsandrea     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To describe a simple ex vivo porcine model for teaching Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK).

Setting:

Cornea Department of the Athens Univesity Eye Clinic, Athens, Greece.

Methods:

Twenty freshly enucleated porcine eyes were used to create a pseudo-graft from the capsule of the cristalline lens which was implanted into an intact porcine globe using the standardized “no-touch” techniques of the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS).

Results:

The DMEK pseudo-graft could be inserted into the anterior chamber, centered, unfolded and appositioned onto the recipient cornea in all cases.

Conclusions:

Practicing DMEK surgery under wetlab conditions was feasible by the described simple and low-cost model. This new tool may facilitate the implementation of DMEK by cornea surgeons.

Financial Interest:

NONE