DMEK Corneal Transplant: Milan, Barcelona, Copenhagen

DMEK, the new non-invasive corneal transplant, is becoming more and more popular.

The new corneal endothelium transplant named DMEK (Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty) is spreading because of the fast visual recovery (around 1-2 months) and minimal postoperative discomfort.

Dr. Badalà organized a course teaching the new DMEK corneal transplant during the ESCRS (European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery) meeting in Barcelona in September 2015. This was evaluated as the best course on the topic as shown by the attached diagrams:

The success of such a course which was held in Barcelona (September 2015) and Las Vegas (November 2015) pushed Dr. Badalà to organize a new course on DMEK during 2016 ESCRS meeting in Copenhagen from 10 to 14 September 2016.

Faculty of this course are the maximum experts on DMEK (Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty)

– Prof. Dua from Nottingham University, Nottingham – UK

– Dr. Saad from Rothschild Foundation, Paris – France

– Prof. Muraine from Rouen University Hospital, Rouen – France

– Prof. Sadeer Hannush from Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia – Usa

– Dr. Ma from Toronto University, Toronto – Canada

Several clinical cases will be presented,  in particular cases of DMEK after failed DSAEK the old technique of corneal endothelium transplant. DSAEK was transferring inside the eye some corneal stroma adding it to the normal corneal anatomy therefore reducing the quality of vision. Here are the images of corneal OCT after DSAEK and after DMEK . It is a patient of 32 years with bullous keratopathy or corneal edema after phakic IOL in the anterior chamber.

DMEK is now the gold standard for corneal transplant in cases of  bullous keratopathy, cornea guttata, corneal edema, failure of penetrating keratoplasty secondary to endothelial disfunction. The main advantage of this type of corneal transplant is selective tissue replacement of purely the damaged inner layer (endothelium), instead of the whole cornea. The transplanted tissue is only 1% of the cornea. Consequently, the risk of corneal transplant rejection  is very low.