Background : Techniques for the preparation of grafts for Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) can be classified into those that involve the manual dissection of the Descemet membrane (DM) and those that use an injection of a liquid or a gas to achieve a separation of the DM from the posterior corneal stroma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the liquid bubble technique.

Methods : The success rate of the technique was calculated retrospectively using the operating reports. Video files for each graft preparation were retrieved and the time, number of injections, and number of injections sites required for the hydrodissection were measured. The number of cases in which a manual dissection of the Descemet membrane was necessary was recorded. Information on donor age and graft preservation time were retrieved from the eye bank file.

Results : In 58 cases, the success rate was 98.3%. In the 28 procedures where a video was available, the median time for hydrodissection was 4.4 min. The median number of injection sites was 2, with a median number of injections of 3.5. Manual dissection as a rescue technique was performed in 25% of cases, with one case resulting in graft tears. The mean graft diameter was 7.6 mm. The mean donor age was 66 years, and the mean graft storage time was 22 days.

Conclusions : The liquid bubble technique can be a fast and valuable choice for DMEK graft preparation, especially in centers where the tissue is prepared in the operating theater.