Abstract
Purpose: :
To examine the effect of increased surgical experience on DSEK graft endothelial survival.
Methods: :
Corneal endothelial cell counts were obtained using a confocal microscope three months after surgery on 90 patients undergoing Descemet's Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty by one corneal surgeon (SBH). The endothelial cell counts of the first 45 patients undergoing surgery were compared to those of the last 45 patients.
Results: :
The mean corneal endothelial cell count in the first group was 1461 cells/mm2 with a range of 670 to 2579 and a standard deviation of 505. For the second group, the mean corneal endothelial cell count was 1427 cells/mm2 with a range of 470 to 2510 cells/mm2 and a standard deviation of 574 (p-value 0.40)
Keywords: cornea: endothelium • transplantation • learning