Descemet's membrane detachment following uneventful phacoemulsification surgeries: A case report

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Surgery
• Cataract Surgery

Background:

• Descemet's membrane detachment (DMD) can occur post-cataract surgery, leading to corneal edema and vision loss.
• The incidence of DMD post-phacoemulsification is low (approx. 0.5%), often surgery-related.
• Late-onset, bilateral, spontaneous DMD after sequential surgeries is rare and may indicate underlying anatomical issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of bilateral Descemet's membrane detachment following sequential uncomplicated cataract surgeries.
• To compare the outcomes of intracameral air injection versus medical management for treating bilateral DMD.

Main Methods:

• A case study of an 80-year-old female with bilateral Descemet's membrane detachment post-cataract surgery.
• One eye was treated with intracameral air injection, while the fellow eye received only medical management.

Main Results:

• Both eyes showed successful reattachment of Descemet's membrane following treatment.
• Surgical intervention expedited recovery, but no significant long-term outcome differences were observed between the treated eyes.

Conclusions:

• Conservative management with close observation can yield satisfactory results for Descemet's membrane detachment, even with visual axis involvement.
• This is particularly true when the separation between Descemet's membrane and the posterior corneal stroma is less than or equal to 1 micrometer.