Visual acuity poorly linked to GT after DSAEK

Visual acuity poorly correlates to graft thickness (GT) in patients who underwent descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK), states a paper in the journal Cornea.

Dr Maria Woodward et al., Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, performed a retrospective chart review on 64 eyes of 52 patients who had anterior segment OCT imaging. The group obtained donor tissue characteristics and clinical information the eye bank and medical records, respectively.

Mean GT decreased from 199±45 μm to 165±53 μm , meaning there was a moderate correlation with preoperative and postoperative GT. Mean Snellen visual acuity was 20/28 at one year and 20/29 at the final follow up visit.

There was poor correlation between best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at the final visit and preoperative/postoperative GT. At the final follow up multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated no relation of either postoperative GT or BCVA with donor tissue endothelial cell density, death-to-preservation time, death-to-surgery time, donor age, patient age or length of postoperative follow-up.

Please click here to read the abstract.