Endothelial keratoplasty in eyes with a retained angle-supported intraocular lens.

PURPOSE: To describe the outcomes of endothelial keratoplasty (EK) for bullous keratopathy in eyes with a retained angle-supported anterior chamber intraocular lens (acIOL).

METHODS: Among 263 consecutive EK procedures, 7 DMEK and 11 DSAEK procedures were identified in eyes with an acIOL and included in the present retrospective case series. Pre- and postoperative status including ocular history, anatomical outcome and complications as well as best-corrected visual acuity was evaluated.

RESULTS: Ocular history included complicated cataract surgery (n = 11), ocular trauma (n = 4) and primary intracapsular cataract extraction (n = 3). Surgery-related complications included primary graft failure (n = 1), graft detachment (n = 1), endophthalmitis (n = 1) and allograft rejection (n = 1). A clear cornea at the final examination (14 ± 4 months) was observed in 14/18 (78%), while the visual outcome was limited due to significant ocular comorbidity in 9 out of 14 uncomplicated procedures.

CONCLUSION: The presented short-term outcomes suggest that both DMEK and DSAEK are feasible in eyes with an angle-supported acIOL yielding an acceptable graft survival rate in the first postoperative year.