Impact of Previous Cataract Surgery in Corneal Donors on the Outcome of Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate differences between phakic, pseudophakic, and scarred stromal donor tissue for their influence on complication rates during preparation or implantation and on the postoperative outcome of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). Methods: We retrospectively compared 484 eyes undergoing DMEK, divided into 3 subgroups of donor tissue (1: phakic, 2: pseudophakic, and 3: scarred stromal). Visual acuity, central corneal thickness (CCT), and endothelial cell count were monitored preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 weeks and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. The incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications was analyzed. Results: The risk of adherence and tearing during preparation was significantly higher in group 2 than in the other groups (p’s < 0.001). No significant difference was found for visual acuity (p’s ≥ 0.368) and long-term CCT, but CCT recovery took longer in group 2 (P = 0.003), normalizing after 3 months (p’s ≥ 0.096). The overall mean endothelial cell count was lower in group 2 compared with the other groups (P = 0.011). No difference in the rebubbling rate was detected (P = 0.890). However, the risk of repeat keratoplasty for phakic grafts was lower compared with group 2 (P = 0.008). Conclusions: Pseudophakic donor grafts are more difficult to prepare and implant, resulting in longer recovery times and a higher risk of graft failure. However, when the preparation is uneventful and no graft failure occurs, pseudophakic grafts show a comparable outcome. Given the shortage of corneal donors and the high prevalence of pseudophakic corneal donors, they should not generally be excluded from corneal donation for DMEK.