APRIL 23, 2022 | EYEWORLD DAILY NEWS | 25
ASCRS ANNUAL MEETING
DAILY NEWS
generalize with all of us, he said. They
include multiple centers and multiple
surgeons who contributed to data col-
lection with their own cases.
What about DMEK? Dr. Chamber-
lain said that DMEK levels are very
similar to DSAEK now, and using older
grafts may be the choice for surgeons
on the learning curve. He added that
there are more studies and data to
come relating to DMEK, and he noted
both the Diabetes Endothelial Kerato-
plasty Study (DEKS) and the Descemet
Endothelial Thickness Comparison Trial
(DETECT).
Editors' note: Dr. Chamberlain has finan-
cial interests with a variety of ophthal-
mic companies. Dr. Garg has financial
interests with Avellino and Glaukos.
failure from endothelial decompensa-
tion. There was strong correlation of
endothelial cell density at 6 months
with graft failure from endothelial de-
compensation. A graft can remain clear
after 5 years even when the endothelial
cell density is below 500 cells/mm
2
, he
said.
Dr. Chamberlain also noted that for
DSAEK, certain donor factors were not
associated with greater endothelial cell
loss at 3 years after surgery in the Cor-
nea Preservation Time Study, including
cause of death, time from death to
preservation, lenticule thickness, eye
bank-dissected versus surgeon-dissect-
ed donor lenticule tissue, donor sex,
and donor age.
The third myth Dr. Chamberlain
addressed was that shorter preserva-
tion time (death to surgery) is safer.
Longer preservation time was associat-
ed with greater endothelial cell loss at
3 years after DSAEK surgery, although
much of the effect was attributed to the
very longest preservation times, which
were from 12–14 days. He added that
less than 12% of all U.S. PKP, DSAEK,
and DMEK tissue transplanted in 2020
had death to surgery time longer than
8 days.
Dr. Chamberlain also addressed the
myth that being pickier about tissue
is "just being a good surgeon." But he
said that "our picky parameters" have
effects on cost and tissue supply. This
can increase the cost of donor tissue
and limit the donor pool.
The last myth he addressed is
needing better parameters because
physicians think they are not as good a
surgeon as others. The studies we have
FREE PHACO WETLAB
Experience the difference
in phaco surgery and test the
CataRhex 3 with all it's features
VISIT OUR BOOTH #2503 @ASCRS
Scan for more
E Y E S U R G E RY. S W I S S M A D E .
