Management of lenticule detachment and epithelial downgrowth after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty: a novel technique and brief literature review.

Background: Epithelial downgrowth is a rare complication after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK), which usually leads to poor visual outcome despite multiple available options of treatment.
Case Presentation: A 50-year-old man underwent DSAEK procedure due to pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. Three months later, the patient presented with gradual visual loss; slit-lamp examination revealed detachment and folding of the DSAEK lenticule, which was confirmed by anterior segment optical coherence tomography. On confocal scanning, epithelial cell sheets were detected in the interface leading to the wrinkling of the donor tissue and donor detachment. Surgical debridement and transient fixating with straight 10-0 prolene needles were performed followed by air injection into the anterior chamber. The cornea turned clear in the one-year follow-up with uncorrected-visual acuity of 20/30 and best-corrected visual acuity of 20/25.
Conclusions: Early diagnosis and treatment of epithelial downgrowth may be associated with a good prognosis and prevent from more aggressive treatments such as repeat of grafting. In this case, mechanical debridement and transient fixation of lenticule by 10-0 prolene needles was performed to manage post-DSAEK epithelial downgrowth and lenticule detachment, which was successful without requiring of additional re-grafting. It seems this is a feasible technique with acceptable long-term outcomes.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)