Comparison of efficacy of three gases for anterior chamber tamponade in Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of three different gases for intraocular tamponade: 100% air, 10% perfluoropropane (C3F8), and 10% sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), in Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 138 patients who underwent DMEK were reviewed retrospectively, with the primary outcome being the rebubbling rate in the first week following surgery. Other clinical outcomes, such as best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central corneal thickness (CCT), incidence of rebubbling after the first week, endothelial cell density (ECD), graft detachment, graft failure, pupillary block, and intraocular pressure (IOP) changes were also analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 138 patients, 57 were in group 1 (treated with air), 44 in group 2 (treated with 10% C3F8), and 37 in group 3 (treated with 10% SF6). Group 3 showed significantly lower rates of graft detachment and rebubbling compared to groups 1 and 2 (P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in postoperative BCVA among the groups. At one year, the mean endothelial cell loss was 32% in group 1, 30% in group 2, and 33% in group 3 (P=0.715). One patient in group 1 experienced pupillary block and increased IOP, while there were no such occurrences in the other groups. There was no difference between the groups in terms of graft failure. CONCLUSION: The use of 10% SF6 in DMEK surgery may be a good option due to its efficacy in preventing graft detachment, low rebubbling rate, and potential for minimizing complications.