A study has found that Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) can be better than penetrating keratoplasty in eyes with an artificial iris. In eyes with partial or complete aniridia it helps restore clarity of corneas and may mean quicker improvement in vision
The study wanted to increase the number of things that would suggest to doctors that the DESK procedure is appropriate. It also sought to encourage doctors who have performed it on patients with aniridia to share their experiences.
“Corneal surgeons should consider performing DSEK in the setting of previous penetrating keratoplasty, partial or complete aniridia, or previous glaucoma surgery,” Dr. Anthony J. Aldave, MD at UCLA in Los Angeles said. “A lot of surgeons in such situations, especially if there is a combination of these factors, would consider DSEK technically difficult to perform and would therefore proceed with a full-thickness instead of a partial-thickness transplant.”
