Predictive Factors for Corneal Clearance After Descemetorhexis Without Endothelial Keratoplasty

PURPOSE:To study preoperative factors that possibly contribute to corneal clearance after Descemetorhexis without endothelial keratoplasty (DWEK) and to determine the most successful surgical technique for the procedure. METHODS:Retrospective chart review of 17 eyes of 13 patients with Fuchs corneal endothelial dystrophy that underwent central 4-mm DWEK. RESULTS:Baseline age, pachymetry, and endothelial cell count were not statistically significantly different between eyes that cleared 0 to 2 months, 3 to 5 months, 6 to 8 months, or that failed to clear. All eyes that failed to clear had DWEK performed using scoring followed by the stripping technique. Postoperative endothelial cell counts steadily increased over time after the procedure, even in eyes that failed to clear. CONCLUSIONS:DWEK when performed with a Descemetorhexis technique results in corneal clearance in the majority of cases regardless of baseline demographics, with clearance typically 3 months after the procedure. Further studies are needed to investigate environmental factors, such as possible growth factors in the anterior chamber, that may influence clearing in these cases.