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Updated: May 14, 2026
Corneal Donor Tissue Preparation for Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty
Published on: September 17, 2014
Endothelial keratoplasty without Descemet's stripping in congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy
Jatin N Ashar1, Muralidhar Ramappa, Sunita Chaurasia
1Cornea and Anterior Segment Services, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
Purpose:
To compare outcomes of non-Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (nDSEK) with Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) for the surgical management of congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED).
Methods:
Patients with CHED who were treated with DSEK or nDSEK were analyzed and compared with respect to graft adhesion, graft clarity, visual acuity, refraction, and complications.
Results:
A total of 6 patients were included in the series. Of these, 3 (mean age, 5.6 ± 1.52 years; 1 male) underwent DSEK and 3 (mean age, 5.6 ± 0.57 years; 2 males) nDSEK. Preoperative best-corrected visual acuity of patients who underwent DSEK was 1.3 logMAR units compared with 1.13 logMAR units for nDSEK patients. There were no intraoperative complications. During the early postoperative period, 1 patient who had n DSEK had lenticule detachment and was successfully managed by repeat air injection. The average time for resolution of graft edema was 30 days. The postoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 0.13 ± 0 .10 in DSEK patients and 0.13 ± 0 .10 in nDSEK patients (P = 1). Mean refraction was comparable in both groups of patients.
Conclusions:
The outcomes of nDSEK were similar to DSEK in CHED in this small series. The specific advantage of nDSEK is the decreased surgical time and intraocular tissue manipulation.
