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    A Tale of Two Descemets: iOCT to the Rescue

    AAO2023 Video Program
    Cornea/External Disease, Diagnostic & Imaging

    We highlight two cases with double Descemet membrane (DM) observed in the postoperative period. The first case was macular dystrophy planned for deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty. Big bubble was successfully formed, and surgery was completed uneventfully with no intraoperative perforation. On postoperative day 1, a double DM was observed. A type III bubble had formed during big-bubble creation, separating predescemetic layer (PDL) from stroma and DM from PDL. Intraoperative optical coherence tomography (iOCT)-guided management of the case involved removing two sutures to lift the graft in a localized area in order to create a nick in the PDL, to allow escape of interface air bubble between PDL and DM and ensure graft apposition. A second case underwent uneventful penetrating keratoplasty for congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy. Double membranes were observed on postoperative day 1. Anterior segment OCT revealed retained host DM, in addition to graft DM. Descemetorrhexis was performed to peel the retained host DM after staining it with trypan blue. Both cases achieved optimal anatomical apposition and clear grafts, with uncorrected distance visual acuity of 20/40-20/32 at 1 month.