Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FemtoLASIK) to correct the residual refractive error after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK).
Methods: This case series study included 7 eyes that underwent FemtoLASIK after a DMEK surgery. The refractive error, uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuities, corneal topography (Sirius, CSO, Italy), and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (Visante, Carl Zeiss-Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) were registered at each postoperative follow-up visit.
Results: All surgeries were uneventful, with no intraoperative or postoperative complications. The follow-up time after DMEK (before FemtoLASIK surgery) ranged from 18 to 36 months. The post-FemtoLASIK follow-up period ranged from 12 to 60 months. All cases experienced a significant improvement in UDVA after FemtoLASIK, all of them reaching a postoperative UDVA value ≥20/32. None of the eyes lost lines of CDVA, and 1 case showed a gain of lines of CDVA. In all cases, the refractive error, UDVA, and CDVA values remained stable at their respective postoperative follow-up visits. Furthermore, all topographic and pachymetric parameters were stable at the different postoperative follow-up visits.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the residual refractive error after DMEK surgery can be safely and effectively treated with FemtoLASIK.