Incidence of cystoid macular edema after Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty.

AIM: To determine the incidence of cystoid macular edema (CME) after Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK).

METHODS: This study included all consecutive patients operated in a Spanish tertiary reference hospital over a period of four years. A total of 55 eyes from 47 patients matched the selection criteria. CME was diagnosed clinically at the slit-lamp and confirmed by optical coherence tomography.

RESULTS: Six cases of CME were diagnosed postoperatively, which represented an incidence of 11%. Three patients had previously undergone DSAEK alone (7%; 3/41) and the other three, DSAEK combined with phacoemulsification (21%; 3/14). Five out of six patients with CME responded to standard therapy.

CONCLUSION: CME is a possible complication after DSAEK and can be treated with standard therapy. CME appears more frequently when DSAEK is combined with phacoemulsification and posterior chamber (PC) intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Intraoperative damage to the corneal endothelial cells might play a role in the pathogenesis of CME. As long as the causes remain unclear, we recommend administering prophylaxis when risk factors are present or when combined surgery is planned.