Endothelium

Small, crowded eyes tend to make phacoemulsification challenging.

KOLOA, Hawaii — In this Healio Video Perspective from Hawaiian Eye 2023, Francis W. Price Jr., MD, provides an overview of upcoming developments in corneal transplant surgery.

Corneal transplantation has continued to improve over time and has reached significant heights in recent times with selective tissue transplantation, namely Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty. In patients with a cloudy cornea secondary to endothelial decompensation, DMEK offers selective replacement of the recipient Descemet’s membrane and its decompensated endothelium with a donor Descemet’s membrane and healthy endothelial cells. Such an advanced endothelial allotransplantation technique provides a near normal anatomic restoration of the recipient cornea along with markedly improved vision over a relatively short period of postoperative time. Early recovery of vision with DMEK results in satisfied patients who can return to their normal activities faster compared with other corneal transplantation techniques. DMEK and other forms of selective tissue corneal transplantation have continued to raise the bar for restoration of vision in cases of corneal blindness.