Cornea
Outcomes of Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty Using Cornea From Elderly Donors Aged 80 Years and Older: In the Aftermath of Current Donor Shortage
The purpose of this study was to report the outcomes of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) using corneas from elderly donors aged 80 years and older.
Methods:
Eighty eyes of 78 patients who underwent DMEK-only or DMEK combined with cataract extraction (triple-DMEK) with surgeon-prepared graft between April 2016 and March 2020 were reviewed. Corrected distance visual acuity, endothelial cell density (ECD), and endothelial cell loss after 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years were analyzed.
Results:
The mean donor age was 83.6 ± 3.7 years (range: 80–100 years), and the mean donor ECD was 2889 ± 177 cells/mm2 (range: 2604–3460 cells/mm2). The mean recipient age was 67.2 ± 6.9 years (range: 60–89 years), and the mean follow-up was 21 ± 11 months (range: 6–52 months). The mean corrected distance visual acuity improved from a preoperative value of 1.36 ± 0.67 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution to 0.22 ± 0.18 at 6 months (n = 75), 0.21 ± 0.2 at 1 year (n = 64), and 0.23 ± 0.3 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution at 2 years (n = 41), respectively (P