Long-term Outcomes in Fellow Eyes Comparing DSAEK and DMEK for Treatment of Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy
Robert W Weisenthal1, Han Y Yin2, Allison R Jarstad1
1Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.
Purpose:
To compare the long-term results of Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) in fellow eyes for treatment of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy.
Methods:
This study is a 2-centered, retrospective case series of 64 patients (128 eyes) with DSAEK followed by DMEK. The main outcomes measured were best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) and duration of time to achieve BSCVA as well as eye preference.
Results:
Preoperative median logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) BSCVA was similar in eyes receiving DMEK 0.36 ± 0.26 and DSAEK 0.42 ± 0.34 (P = .266). The average follow-up time needed for the DMEK eyes to achieve BSCVA was faster than that of DSAEK (277 days vs 490 days, P = .0014). With long-term follow-up, the BSCVA of the DMEK eyes [0.09 ± 0.10 logMAR] and DSAEK eyes [0.11 ± 0.16 logMAR] did not show a statistically significant difference (P = .069). Twenty-two of the 64 preferred the DMEK eye, 17 patients preferred the DSAEK eye (P = .423), and 25 patients did not have a preference. In the DMEK group, the average spherical equivalent was -0.08 compared with the DSAEK group at 0.06 (P = .2854).
Conclusion:
In our fellow eye study with long-term follow-up, DMEK and DSAEK had comparable levels of BSCVA and patient satisfaction. The DMEK eyes reached their BSCVA sooner, whereas the DSAEK eyes improved over a longer time frame. A greater number of patients had 20/25 and 20/20 vision in the DMEK group; however, the difference was not statistically significant. NOTE: Publication of this article is sponsored by the American Ophthalmological Society.
