Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 30, 2026
Corneal Donor Tissue Preparation for Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty
Published on: September 17, 2014
Simple, inexpensive, and effective injector for descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty
Eun Chul Kim1, Gustavo Bonfadini, Leisha Todd
1*Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD; and †Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Purpose:
We describe an inexpensive, simple, and effective endothelium-Descemet membrane (EDM) graft injector assembled from regular operating room supplies in Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK).
Methods:
To assemble the injector, standard intravenous tubing was cut approximately 2 inches from the Luer lock end, leaving a steep bevel. The cut end of the tubing was firmly wedged bevel up and advanced into the back of an Alcon IOL B cartridge. The Luer lock end of the tubing was then attached to a 5- or 10-mL syringe filled with BSS Plus. The EDM graft was then placed into a Petri dish filled with BSS. After the graft was sucked into an injector with bevel-side up under the surgical microscope, the graft was then inserted into the anterior chamber with the injector through the main incision in the superotemporal quadrant.
Results:
In seven eyes of seven patients with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy treated with DMEK using our injector, clear attached grafts and improved visual acuity were achieved.
Conclusions:
This simple, inexpensive, and effective injector is a safe and viable device to facilitate this part of DMEK surgery.
