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Deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty shows good
long-term results
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SAN DIEGO — A long-term study suggested that deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty could maintain its positive outcomes over time.
"Long-term evolution of the first-quarter of DLEK patients showed that DLEK may prove to be safe and effective," Martin Dirisamer, MD, said at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting here.
The study's first cohort included 22 patients. Of those, 15 had bullous keratopathy and seven had Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy.
An approximately 84% graft survival rate was reported at 7.1 years of follow-up. Survival rates between 62% and 82% were found at the study's 10-year mark.
Graft detachment and interface scarring occurred in one patient each, and secondary graft failure was reported for one patient at 1 year and two patients at 6 years. Endothelial cell loss was about 79% at last follow-up.
Fifty-eight percent of patients achieved a best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; however, excluding patients with low visual potential increased this value to 78%, Dr. Dirisamer said.
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