Manual schism and intracameral air injection for impacted Descemet's membrane detachment.

A woman in her 60s was referred to us for management of poor vision following cataract surgery in the right eye. She had undergone manual small incision cataract surgery 12 weeks earlier. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy revealed corneal oedema, a horizontal line at the upper border and the adhered inferior border of detached Descemet's membrane (DM). Clinical diagnosis of impacted Descemet's membrane detachment (DMD) was considered.Surgical intervention with manual schisis and intracameral injection of air was planned. Using the 'push technique,' we tried to place the tip of the 27 gauge cannula between the back of the cornea and detached DM. The tip of the 27 gauge cannula was behind the impacted DM, and air injection was unsuccessful. Using the back-up the 'pull technique,' bent tip of the 27 gauge cannula was used to pull the impacted DMD. This manoeuvre, disimpacted the inferior border and the air bubble, was injected using the 27 gauge cannula. The air bubble unfolded and reattached the DM successfully.

Double bubble pneumo-descemetopexy for the management of Descemet membrane detachment: An innovative technique.

A 62-year-old woman was referred with poor vision following manual small incision cataract surgery. On presentation, the uncorrected distance visual acuity in the involved eye was 3/60, whereas slit-lamp examination revealed a central corneal edema with the peripheral cornea relatively clear. Direct focal examination with a narrow slit upper border and lower margin of detached rolled up Descemet's membrane (DM) could be visualized. We performed a novel surgical approach, "double-bubble pneumo-descemetopexy." The surgical procedure included unrolling of DM with "small air bubble" and descemetopexy with "big bubble." No postoperative complications were observed, and best corrected distance visual acuity improved to 6/9 at 6 weeks. The patient had a clear cornea and maintained BCVA 6/9 during 18 months at follow-up. Double-bubble pneumo-descemetopexy, a more controlled technique, provides a satisfactory anatomical and visual outcome in DMD without the need for endothelial keratoplasty (Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty or DMEK) or penetrating keratoplasty.