Abstract
Purpose: :
The authors report the six month results of Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty using synthetic carrier and injector system : In vivo experimental animal study.
Methods: :
Nine Korean native mixed species cats were used for the experiment. Six eyes of three cats were used as donor and six eyes of six cats were used as recipients. Descemetorhexis was made on recipient’s eye. Descemet-endothelium complexes were obtained through suprachoroidal approach. Harvested Descemet’s membrane-endothelium complexes were carried on synthetic carrier (soft contact lens). After two steps down punch, Descemet’s membrane-endothelium-carrier complexes were loaded on injector system. The complexes were injected into the anterior chamber and attached behind the stroma. Slit lamp biomicroscopic examination, pachymetry and endothelial cell densities were evaluated.
Results: :
Success rate was 83.3 % (5/6). One case was failed and corneal turned opaque and suspected endothelial failure. Corneal thickness was markedly increased (131%, p=0.021, anova test) at 2 weeks after transplantation. However the corneal thickness at 1 month and after then there were no statistically significant differences. Endothelial cell counts were decreased to 31.1 ± 17.60 % and 35.5 ± 14.97 % at 3 and 6 month after transplantation respectively. There were statistically significant differences between preoperative and postoperative cell densities (p=0.034, p=0.022, anova test). However there was no statistically significant difference between 3 month and 6 momth.
Conclusions: :
The results of Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty was comparable to Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty despite of more surgical trauma. Its result would be improved by the development of surgical techniques and instruments.
Keywords: cornea: endothelium • transplantation