Pneumatic Descemetopexy With Venting Incisions For Post Cataract Surgery Descemet's Membrane Detachment - Our Results Unfurl

The management of Descemet’s detachment with pneumatic descemetopexy is a known and reported technique. The use of venting incisions allows the pre-descemets fluid to be released, enhancing the success rates of descemetopexy and allowing early visual rehabilitation. 

The purpose of this study is to analyze the outcomes of outcomes of post-cataract surgery pneumatic descemetopexy for Descemet membrane detachment using intracameral air injection and venting incisions.

Tertiary eye care center in Mumbai, India.

Design: Interventional case series

The clinical data of 21 patients who had descemetopexy with air and venting incisions for Descemet membrane detachment after cataract surgery were reviewed.

The average age of the patients in the series was 68.43+9.75 years (Range, 52-85 years). 11 patients had undergone SICS (small incision cataract surgery), 9 phacoemulsification and one had undergone a phacoemulsification with vitrectomy. Preoperative visual acuity was LOGMAR 1.54+0.66 which improved to 0.76+0.49 LOGMAR at the end of one month. Anterior segment OCT revealed a complete attachment of the Descement’s membrane in 15 patients with a small peripheral detachment with clear central corneas in 2 while there was no attachment in 4 patients.

Post operative corneal edema resulting from a descemet’s membrane detachment can result in marked reduction in visual acuity and reduced patient satisfaction with the potential of causing corneal blindness. For this reason, early diagnosis and management with a pneumatic descemetopexy with venting incisions is a safe option in the management of Descemet’s detachment after cataract surgery.