DMEK: learning curve and 24 month results of a French series

Session Details

Session Title: Cornea Surgical I

Session Date/Time: Monday 15/09/2014 | 08:00-10:30

Paper Time: 10:10

Venue: Boulevard B

First Author: : A.Saad FRANCE

Co Author(s): :    E. Guilbert   D. Gatinel           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To describe the results of the first fifty DMEK cases and compare the first 5 cases to the rest of the series.

Setting:

Rothschild Foundation, Paris, France

Methods:

Prospective, observational case series of the first 50 eyes of 44 patients undergoing a DMEK surgery at the author’s institution. The endothelio-Descemet graft was manually prepared in the operating room and was inserted in the receiver Anterior Chamber using a dedicated single use injector after removal of the recipient Descemet membrane. All the surgeries were recorded. Surgery and graft preparation time as well as clinical outcomes at 1,3 and 12 and 24 months were compared between the first 5 cases and the rest of the group.

Results:

Among the 2 groups clinical outcomes were similar, with 80% of cases achieving a BCVA of 0.1LogMar or better and an average ECD of 1570 cells/mm2, at 12 months. Mean graft preparation time (GPT) and mean surgical time (ST) were 48 +/- 20 minutes and 62 +/- 16 mn respectively in the first 5 cases and 22 +/- 8 minutes and 35 +/- 17 mn in the rest of the group and the differences were statistically significant between the first 5 cases and the rest of the group (p<0.05). In the first 5 cases we were not able to complete the donor preparation in one case and the graft was wrongly oriented in another case.

Conclusions:

The learning curve in DMEK did not correlate with clinical outcome. However, ST, GPT and intraoperative complications decline with the surgeon experience.

Financial Interest:

NONE