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Updated: Apr 17, 2026
Corneal Donor Tissue Preparation for Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty
Published on: September 17, 2014
Spontaneous Descemet membrane tear after uneventful big-bubble Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty
Vito Romano1, Bernhard Steger, Stephen B Kaye
1*Department of Corneal and External Eye Diseases, St Paul's Eye Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom; and †Department of Eye and Vision Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Purpose:
To report a case of delayed spontaneous Descemet membrane (DM) tear after big-bubble Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK).
Methods:
Uneventful big-bubble DALK was performed on a 29-year-old patient with advanced keratoconus. No injury to DM was noted intraoperatively and in the first postoperative week. On examination after 1 month, the patient presented with tear and partial detachment of Descemet membrane (DMD).
Results:
Circumscribed eccentric stromal edema, but not DMD, partially resolved after a 3-month observational period.
Conclusions:
A tear to DM and consecutive DMD may occur spontaneously after big-bubble DALK. Sutural traction and regressing corneal stromal edema may be etiologic factors.
