Intradescemetic air bubble trapping during deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty

We describe a case of a 52-year-old man in whom the appearance of an air bubble developed, trapped within the Descemet membrane (DM), that occurred during a planned deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty using the "big bubble" technique. This situation can occur because Descemet membrane's anatomic structure can be opened by the gas dissection; this complication may result in unanticipated results during and after this type of surgery. Surgeons should be aware of this specific risk, so they will recognize it when it occurs. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging and surgical management are presented.