DMEK – the most advanced treatment for keratoconus, post LASIK ectasia and Fuchs’ dystrophy

Discover why DMEK is the new gold standard for corneal transplantation

DMEK – the most advanced treatment for keratoconus, post LASIK ectasia and Fuchs’ dystrophy

Discover why DMEK is the new gold standard for corneal transplantation

DMEK is the most advanced form of partial corneal transplant

DMEK is indicated in diseases affecting the innermost, endothelial layer of the cornea

What is Corneal Transplant?

Corneal transplantation, also known as corneal grafting, is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue.

Patients with endothelial cell problems, where the inner layer is the only affected layer, are the ideal candidates for a corneal transplant.

This includes conditions such as:

  • Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy
  • Bullous keratopathy
  • Posterior polymorphous membrane dystrophy
  • Congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy
  • Iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome
  • Failed endothelial keratoplasty.

Patients with corneal scarring or other conditions will still require the full-thickness corneal transplantation procedure.

We carefully remove the diseased innermost layer of the cornea and replace it with a thin layer from a healthy cornea donor.
The two methods include:

DMEK – we replace defective pump cells with just the healthy donor cells (very small) rather than a piece of a donor cornea. This is the most recent surgery, and the size of the graft doesn’t exceed 20 microns (less than 1/5 the thickness of a human hair).

DSAEK – we use a piece of donor cornea containing healthy pump cells to replace the defective pump cells.

Advantages of DMEK
  • The procedure time is much less than the traditional full-thickness graft
  • Smaller wound so fewer wound complications
  • Healing and restoring of vision is more rapid (one to three months)
  • Greater structure integrity to the cornea because more than 90% of the patient’s cornea remains
  • Less incidence of rejection.
Disadvantages of DMEK
  • As with any surgery, the procedure carries a small chance of potential risk or complication.
  • It could take a few weeks, or up to a year for your vision to improve fully.

The risks of a DMEK corneal transplant include:

  • A risk of the thin button of endothelium becoming displaced within the first few days or weeks after surgery. We can reposition this.
  • If the procedure fails, we can perform a traditional corneal transplant operation after one or multiple attempts.

Treatment options and alternatives will depend on the stage of the disease or the extent of the damage.

The type of cornea transplant you have will depend on which part of the cornea is damaged or how much of the cornea needs replacing.

Step 1: We will first administer either local or general anaesthesia, depending on your health, age, eye injury or disease, and whether or not you prefer to be asleep during the procedure.

Step 2: We use an instrument called a lid speculum to keep your eyelids open. We then measure the affected corneal area to determine the size of the donor tissue needed.

Step 3: We will remove the section of the damaged cornea using either a surgical cutting instrument or a femtosecond laser.

Step 4: We will replace this section with donor tissue and suture it into place, or we will place a thin disc of donor tissue on the back surface of your cornea.

Step 5: Lastly, we place a plastic shield over your eye to protect it during healing.

Most people who have a cornea transplant get at least part of their vision restored, but each situation is different. It could take a few weeks and up to a year for your vision to improve fully. Your eyesight might get a little worse before it gets better.

Corneal diseases are a leading cause of blindness and vision impairment all over the world

Early diagnosis and treatment is key to preventing further damage and restoring vision. Come see us today for an assessment.

Does your corneal eye condition hold you back in life?

If so, we can likely help stabilise or possibly reverse the effect

Talk to us about your corneal eye condition

Whether you’re suffering from an eye infection, corneal abrasion, dry eye, eye allergies or progressive conditions like keratoconus or Fuchs’ dystrophy, we can likely help alleviate symptoms and treat the root cause.

Thousands of happy patients gain freedom from cataracts, glasses and eye conditions

“I found the service I received from Dr. Elalfy very good, having experienced problems with surgery elsewhere, he sorted out those problems and reassured me to go on and complete my treatment. A lovely person with a very high skill set in optical surgery.”

Ms A.A.

“Fantastic impression and support from the first meeting. Excellent bedside manner with detailed explanations. Eye surgery expertly executed with 100% result wished for. Professional from start to finish. Absolutely no hesitation to recommend.”

Mrs L.W.

Thousands of happy patients instantly gain freedom from cataracts, glasses and eye conditions

“I found the service I received from Dr. Elalfy very good, having experienced problems with surgery elsewhere, he sorted out those problems and reassured me to go on and complete my treatment. A lovely person with a very high skill set in optical surgery.”

Ms A.A.

“Mohamed Elalfy achieves all that we want from our medical practitioners; interest in you as a patient, great care in analysing the problem and ensuring that one’s concerns, emotional and practical, are thoroughly considered and explained and a great outcome.”

Mr B.P.

We have replaced the images of real patients who provided these testimonials to protect their privacy.

Affiliations and memberships

We are aligned with the following professional bodies

Academic resources on corneal transplant – DMEK

Learn more about corneal transplant – DMEK from authoritative sources

Corneal transplantation in the modern era

Corneal blindness is one of the major causes of reversible blindness, which can be managed with the transplantation of a healthy donor cornea. Corneal transplantation or keratoplasty is the most commonly performed and also the most successful allogenic transplants worldwide. Click here for more information.

The consequences of a corneal transplant are evaluated and classified by care providers, but the understanding and interpretation of the results vary between patients, and this study is aimed at exploring the understanding of a new life in patients after corneal transplantation. Click here for more information.

A cornea transplant is an operation to remove all or part of a damaged cornea and replace it with healthy donor tissue. One of the most common reasons for a cornea transplant is a condition called keratoconus. Click here for more information.

Curious about the risks and benefits of corneal graft surgery? A corneal graft (transplant) operation may be performed to replace the diseased cornea. Click here for more information.

You’re just one step away from enjoying a fuller, more enriched life without glasses or contact lenses.

Say goodbye to tiresome visual aids with a suitability assessment in your local area. It really couldn’t be easier.

Beat the lockdown wait lists and move forward with your life

We provide personalised treatment at a time and place that suits you

Mr Mohamed Elalfy

MBBCh, MSc, MD, DRCOphth, FRCS (Ed), FRCS (Glas), FRCOphth, FICO, FEBO
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon

Seeking eye treatment for a worrying eye condition can be stressful. Waitlists everywhere are long due to the lockdowns, and leaving the house to attend appointments can be a real inconvenience.

To make your experience as easy and stress-free as possible, we provide assessments in your local area. We also offer online appointments both before and after your treatment, so you don’t have to travel far to get the personalised support you deserve.

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