Ten Pearls for Descemet's Membrane Detachment Repair
1. Embryology Understanding the embryological development of the cornea helps us appreciate the reasons for a Descemet's membrane (DM) detachment during surgery. After the lens vesicle separates from the surface epithelium, a wave of mesenchyme forms the primary corneal stroma. A second wave then forms the endothelium, which secretes the DM. The DM, hence, has a potential plane of separation from the corneal stroma, which we use to our benefit in DMEK surgery and which works against us in an inadvertent DM detachment. Throughout the life of an individual, the DM thickens as the posterior non-banded layer is secreted by the endothelium. The anterior fetal banded layer tends to remain the same. However, in most instances, the separation happens between the DM and the cornea stroma1. The thickness of the DM varies between 10 and 15 microns, increasing with age. DM does not regenerate after any damage2. 2. Cataract Surgery and DM Detachment A post-cataract DM detachment occurs in 0.26% of

