Impact of graft thickness on visual acuity after Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty

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Description/Abstract

Objective
To evaluate the relationship, over time, between central graft thickness and visual acuity following Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK).

Methods
A retrospective analysis of 70 consecutive cases of DSEK. All donor lenticules were dissected manually. Serial postoperative measurements of central graft and total corneal thicknesses were made using anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Visual acuity, refraction and patient demographics were collected from case notes. The correlation between central graft thickness and visual acuity at serial time points was calculated.

Results
The median age at surgery was 75 years (lower quartile (LQ) 66, upper quartile (UQ) 83, range 36e90 years). Nineteen eyes were excluded from statistical analysis, leaving 51 eyes of 46 patients remaining. Last follow-up occurred a median of 12 months postoperatively (LQ 6, UQ 23, range 4e38 months). The median preoperative visual acuity was 0.71 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), improving to 0.34 logMAR postoperatively (p<0.001, n¼43). Median graft thickness decreased from 209 mm at day 1 to 142 mm at last follow-up (p<0.001). No statistically significant correlation was found between central total corneal thickness and visual acuity at any time point. Except for a single time point, no statistically significant correlation was found between central graft thickness and visual acuity.

Conclusion
There is no clear association between central graft, or total corneal, thickness and visual acuity following DSEK.