DXEK has direct effect on corneal hysteresis & biomechanics

Descemetorhexis with endokeratoplasty (DXEK) has a direct effect on corneal hysteresis and the biomechanical properties of the human cornea, according to Thomas John and colleagues from Loyola University, Chicago, USA.

In this first report on corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor following sutureless corneal graft, i.e. DXEK, surgery, 12 eyes of 12 DXEK patients (group1) and 88 eyes of 44 age-matched normal subjects (group 2) were studied. All DXEK subjects were operated on by a single surgeon and the donor corneal disks were surgeon-cut, using the microkeratome and artificial anterior chamber (Moria). None of the eyes had anterior corneal slits to the host-donor interface and all subjects underwent corneal biomechanical evaluation with the Reichert ocular response analyser (ORA).

It was discovered that ORA corneal hysteresis measurements were significantly lower in the DXEK patients (6.94±1.65) than in normal subjects (10.51±1.22). DXEK also had a direct effect on the biomechanical properties of the human cornea, as evidenced by the corneal resistance factor measurements (group1: 8.60±2.10 versus group 2: 9.86±1.23).

The researchers stated that this was the first report of corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor following DXEK surgery.