Microthin Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty Versus Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: To compare visual outcomes, complications, and vision-related quality of life (QoL) after microthin Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (MT-DSAEK) versus Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) for the management of corneal endothelial dysfunction in Fuchs dystrophy. METHODS: This is a prospective, double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients with visually significant endothelial decompensation from Fuchs dystrophy were prospectively randomized to receive MT-DSAEK or DMEK surgery. The primary outcome was best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included refraction, keratometry, endothelial cell count, complications, and vision-related QoL at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 56 eyes of 56 patients were enrolled, 28 in each group. Postoperatively, LogMAR mean BSCVA in the MT-DSAEK group was 0.17 ± 0.08 and 0.11 ± 0.09 at 6 and 12 months compared with 0.09 ± 0.13 and 0.04 ± 0.13 after DMEK (P = 0.03, P = 0.002 respectively) with the DMEK cohort achieving 3.5 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution letters better BSCVA at 1 year compared with MT-DSAEK. Complication rates were similar with 3.5% rebubbling rate in both groups, 1 primary graft failure in DMEK and a single endothelial rejection in the MT-DSAEK arm. Vision-related QoL was comparable at 6 and 12 months postoperatively, and no eyes demonstrated loss of vision from preoperative BSCVA. CONCLUSIONS: DMEK surgery resulted in significantly better BSCVA at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively compared with MT-DSAEK. Patient satisfaction was similar with no differences reported in vision-related QoL scores, as was the complications profile between groups. Thus, our results favor DMEK as the better choice procedure for eyes with Fuchs-related corneal decompensation without ocular comorbidities.

Effect of Unilateral Endothelial Keratoplasty on Vision-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes in the Descemet Endothelial Thickness Comparison Trial (DETECT): A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Vision-related quality of life can be a valuable outcome for some interventions in ophthalmology. In the primary Descemet Endothelial Thickness Comparison Trial (DETECT), Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) had superior postoperative visual acuity compared with ultrathin Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (UT-DSAEK). It is of interest to determine whether this trend extends to quality of life. Objective: To determine the effect of UT-DSAEK and DMEK on vision-related quality of life. Design, Setting, and Participants: A prespecified secondary analysis of a 2-surgeon patient- and outcome-masked randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon, and Byers Eye Institute in Palo Alto, California. The study was conducted between January 20, 2015, and April 26, 2017. DETECT enrolled 38 individuals and included 50 eyes with isolated endothelial dysfunction; for this analysis, the second eye from a single participant was excluded along with any questionnaires in the first eye after second eye surgery for evaluation of 38 eyes at baseline and 3 months and 26 eyes at 12 months. Mean (SD) baseline visual acuity was 0.35 (0.31) logMAR in the DMEK arm and 0.28 (0.22) logMAR in the UT-DSAEK arm. Each arm consisted of 19 participants: 18 individuals with Fuchs dystrophy and 1 participant with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. Interventions: Study eyes were randomized to receive either UT-DSAEK or DMEK. Main Outcomes and Measures: Responses to the National Eye Institute (NEI) Visual Function Questionnaire-39 (VFQ-39) administered at baseline and 3 and 12 months postoperatively were analyzed using the NEI-defined traditional subscales and composite score on a 100-point scale and with a Rasch-refined analysis. Results: There were more women in both arms of the study (UT-DSAEK, 12 [63%]; DMEK, 11 [58%]); mean (SD) age was 68 (11) years in the UT-DSAEK arm and 68 (4) years in the DMEK arm. Overall, study participants experienced a 9.1-point improvement in NEI VFQ-39 composite score at 3 months compared with baseline (N = 38; 95% CI, 4.9-13.3; P < .001), and an 11.6-point improvement at 12 months compared with baseline (n = 26; 95% CI, 6.8-16.4; P < .001). Eyes randomized to DMEK had 0.9 points more improvement in NEI VFQ-39 composite score at 3 months compared with UT-DSAEK after controlling for baseline NEI VFQ-39 (95% CI, -6.2 to 8.0; P = .80). Conclusions and Relevance: Improvement in vision-related quality of life was not shown to be greater with DMEK compared with UT-DSAEK. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02373137.

Vision-related quality of life before and after keratoplasty for Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy.

PURPOSE: To assess vision-related quality of life in Fuchs' dystrophy and changes in vision-related quality of life after 3 types of keratoplasty (penetrating keratoplasty [PK], deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty [DLEK], and Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty [DSEK]). DESIGN: Prospective, observational case series. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-three subjects with Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy: 12 subjects (12 eyes) received PK, 11 subjects (11 eyes) received DLEK, and 40 subjects (40 eyes) received DSEK. METHODS: Subjects were examined before keratoplasty and at regular intervals through 3 years after keratoplasty. At each examination, vision-related quality of life was assessed using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire; best spectacle-corrected and uncorrected visual acuities were measured by using the electronic Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study protocol; keratometric cylinder was measured by a manual keratometer. Disability glare was measured with a straylight meter. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Vision-related quality of life composite score. RESULTS: Vision-related quality of life composite score for all eyes with Fuchs' dystrophy before keratoplasty was 72 ± 11 (n = 63) and did not differ between groups (P = 0.88). Vision-related quality of life improved by 6 months (PK, P = 0.008; DLEK, P = 0.03; DSEK, P < 0.001), with continued improvement between 6 months and 3 years after PK (P = 0.01) and DSEK (P = 0.004). At 6 months, the composite score was higher after DSEK than after PK (P = 0.006). At 3 years, there were no differences in composite scores between the 3 treatments (P = 0.33; mean minimum detectable difference, 8 [α = 0.05; ß = 0.20]). After keratoplasty, quality of life was correlated with uncorrected visual acuity at 1 year (r = -0.38; P = 0.001) and at 3 years (r = -0.36; P = 0.02), with disability glare at 3 years (r = -0.41; P = 0.02), and with best-corrected visual acuity at 6 months (r = -0.34; P = 0.03), but not thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: Vision-related quality of life in patients with Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy is significantly impaired but improves after keratoplasty, irrespective of the technique. The improvement is faster after DSEK than after PK, and this might be explained in part by rapid improvement in uncorrected visual acuity after DSEK. This study affirms an advantage of endothelial keratoplasty over PK with respect to patient-reported outcomes.

Activity limitation due to a fear of falling in older adults with eye disease.

PURPOSE: To examine whether patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, or Fuchs corneal dystrophy report limiting their activity due to a fear of falling as compared with a control group of older adults with good vision. METHODS: We recruited 345 patients (93 with AMD, 57 with Fuchs, 98 with glaucoma, and 97 controls) from the ophthalmology clinics of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital (Montreal, Canada) to participate in a cross-sectional study from September 2009 until July 2012. Control patients who had normal visual acuity and visual field were recruited from the same clinics. Participants were asked if they limited their activity due to a fear of falling. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and visual field were measured and the medical record was reviewed. RESULTS: Between 40% and 50% of patients with eye disease reported activity limitation due to a fear of falling compared with only 16% of controls with normal vision. After adjustment for age, sex, race, number of comorbidities, cognition, and lens opacity, the Fuchs groups was most likely to report activity limitation due to a fear of falling (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-7.06) followed by the glaucoma group (OR = 2.84; 95% CI, 1.36-5.96) and the AMD group (OR = 2.42; 95% CI, 1.09-5.35). Contrast sensitivity best explained these associations. CONCLUSIONS: Activity limitation due to a fear of falling is very common in older adults with visually impairing eye disease. Although this compensatory strategy may protect against falls, it may also put people at risk for social isolation and disability.