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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Corneal Donor Tissue Preparation for Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty
Published on: September 17, 2014
Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty for corneal decompensation due to iridoschisis
Miles F Greenwald1, Philip I Niles1, A Tim Johnson1
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States.
Purpose:
To report a case of bilateral iridoschisis with cataracts and corneal decompensation in a patient who underwent cataract extraction and superficial iridectomy followed by Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK).
Observations:
A 58-year-old man with previously diagnosed iridoschisis, cataracts, and diabetes mellitus experienced progressive vision loss bilaterally due to corneal decompensation. Slit lamp examination revealed iridoschisis with iris fibrils contacting the corneal endothelium, stromal edema, and mild guttate changes bilaterally. Corneal findings were more severe in the right eye, including the presence of bullous keratopathy at the time of presentation. Cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation and superficial iridectomy were performed in the right eye, followed by DMEK. These same procedures were performed subsequently in the left eye. Postoperatively, the patient had significant improvement in visual acuity and corneal edema.
Conclusions And Importance:
DMEK can be performed safely and successfully after staged cataract surgery with superficial iridectomy in eyes with endothelial decompensation caused by iridoschisis.
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