Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty and penetrating keratoplasty for Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy.

Purpose: To compare the outcome of Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) to that of penetrating keratoplasty (PK) in patients with Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy.

Methods: The first 20 patients who underwent DSAEK at the Department of Ophthalmology, Aarhus University Hospital were compared to 20 patients treated with classic PK. Best-corrected visual acuity, subjective spectacle refraction and corneal thickness were registered before surgery and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after DSAEK surgery; they were also measured before surgery and 12 months and 2-3 years after PK. Endothelial cell density was measured 12 months after surgery in both groups.

Results: Two primary graft failures were observed in the DSAEK group; no failures were seen in the PK group. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) at 12 months after surgery was significantly better in the DSAEK group (0.56 +/- 0.04) than in the PK group (0.33 +/- 0.06). At this time, 70% of the DSAEK-treated eyes but only 25% of PK-treated eyes had obtained a BSCVA of 0.5 or better. Two to three years after surgery, BSCVA was 0.5 or better in 55% of PK-treated eyes. Refractive ametropia and astigmatism were significantly smaller in DSAEK-treated eyes than in PK-treated eyes, even after suture removal and arcuate keratotomy. Endothelial cell density (cells/mm2) after 1 year was lower in DSAEK-treated (1.338 +/- 113) than in PK-treated eyes (1.610 +/- 124), but the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: DSAEK seems to be superior to PK in treating Fuchs' endothelial keratoplasty, although primary graft failure may be more common. Visual recovery is faster, and major ametropia and astigmatism is not induced. Long-term follow-up studies are essential to assess whether this conclusion also holds true more than 1 year after surgery.