Morphometric changes of corneal endothelial cells following intracameral air for micro perforation of the Descemet Membrane during big-bubble deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty

ABSTRACT

Aim: the aim of this study was to assess the effect of intracameral air on the endothelial cell morphometrics. Patients and methods: This is a retrospective controlled interventional cohort study of 26 patients [18 males and 8 females] who underwent unilateral deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty [DALK] for moderate keratoconus. The DALK patients were divided into two groups a treatment group [14], which had micro perforations of the Descemet Membrane [DM] intraoperatively and received intracameral air at the end of the surgery; and an independent control group [12], which had no micro perforation and thus no intracameral air was injected. Postoperative best corrected visual acuity [BCVA], sphere, cylinder, spherical equivalent [SEQ], central corneal thickness, and endothelial cell morphometric features consisted of the endothelial cell density [ECD], polymegathism, and pleomorphism were compared between treatment and control groups