4 Years Of Experience With Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (Dmek) In A Third Level Hospital: An Epidemiological Perspective

The main objective of this study is to determine the epidemiological characteristics related to patients operated on for DMEK in a third level hospital.

Specifications

-Know the main characteristics of the patients who underwent DMEK, including age, gender and operated eye.

-Know the main causes of indication of DMEK in our hospital environment.

-Know the main characteristics and complications associated with DMEK.

A retrospective case series study is presented in which the medical records of patients operated on for DMEK between January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2023 at the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol de Badalona (n=65) were analysed.

The study variables include demographic and clinical data of the operated patients, including age, gender, diagnosis for which DMEK was indicated, specifications of the surgical technique, cases that required a cornea transplant as a rescue technique, patients that required a corneal transplantation of the contralateral eye and cases that required rebubbling.

The information analysed was completely anonymized and the study adheres to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Inclusion criteria

All patients operated on for DMEK in our centre between January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2023.

Exclusion criteria

Any patient who has not received a minimum of 1 year of follow-up at our centre.

Any patient whose medical record data cannot be accessed.

Mean age of DMEK intervention: 69.1±10.6 years, with 73.9% being older than 65 years (p<0.05).

36.92% men and 63.08% women (p<0.05).

56.92% right and 43.08% left eye (p>0.05).

61.54% operated on for Fuchs' dystrophy, 32.21% for corneal decompensation after phacoemulsification surgery, 4.62% due to decompensation of the previous graft, 3.8% due to bullous keratopathy, 1.54% due to other causes and 7.69% the cause was not established.

84.62% only DMEK was performed; 13.85% with phacoemulsification at the same time and one case with anterior vitrectomy.

13.85% underwent transplantation of the contralateral eye, 1.52% required rescue corneal transplantation, 3.08% DMEK were performed as rescue surgery and 4.62% required rebubbling.

The majority of patients operated on for DMEK are older people over 65 years of age, women, and diagnosed with Fuchs' dystrophy, the second cause being endothelial decompensation due to phacoemulsification in cataract surgery.

Postoperative follow-up and control being of great importance, reoperation rates due to graft failure or rebubbling are quite low.

We consider these results relevant to know the profile of patients operated on for DMEK and we conclude that strict follow-up of these patients is of great importance.