Abstract

SA.05.09

Changes in the donor corneal lenticule thickness after Descemet’s Stripping and Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK)

Cursiefen C., Pogorelov P., Kruse F. E.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen

Objective: After deep lamellar automated keratoplasty using a microkeratome (DSAEK), the thickness of the donor corneal lenticule seems to decease during the postoperative follow-up. Purpose of the current study was to quantify these changes using the slit-lamp-adapted optical coherence tomograph (SL-OCT).
Methods: Eight eyes of eight patients after Descemet’s stripping and automated endothelial keratoplasty were examined with the slit lamp-adapted optical coherence tomograph (SL-OCT, Heidelberg Engineering, Lübeck, Germany) one day after surgery and then monthly. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), total corneal thickness and thickness of the posterior corneal lamella were obtained during each examination.
Results: A continuous decrease of the posterior corneal lamellar thickness was observed during the follow-up (mean thickness immediate postoperatively 168 µm, compared with 100 µm eight weeks after surgery, p<0.05). The complete central corneal thickness decreased from 890 µm at the third postoperative day to 627 µm after two month. The BCVA improved from 0.2 preoperatively to 0.35 at eight weeks postoperatively (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The decrease of the donor corneal lenticule thickness correlates with improvement of the best corrected visual acuity. The slit-lamp-OCT provides an appropriate technique to quantify the thickness of the anterior and posterior corneal lamella after DSAEK.

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