Conditions: Fuchs' Dystrophy Bullous Keratopathy
Keywords: DMEK Rejection Corticosteroid
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 264
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to compare two different commonly used steroid dosing regimens after Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) transplant surgery. The investigators hope to determine if one is more effective at preventing rejection or if both are equally effective.

Detailed description:
Graft rejection is one of the leading causes of cornea transplant failure. To help prevent rejection, corticosteroid eye drops are used after transplant surgery. The steroid eye drop dosing regimen varies from surgeon to surgeon, because no studies have been done to determine the optimum dosing regimen.

Arms:
arm 1: Subjects assigned to Treatment Regimen B will instill 1 drop of prednisolone acetate 1% four times a day in the transplant eye for one month. Then they will instill one drop of fluorometholone four times a day in the transplant eye for 2 months, then 3 times a day for 1 month, then twice a day for 1 month, then once a day until the subject exits the study. arm 2: Subjects assigned to Treatment Regimen A will instill 1 drop of prednisolone acetate 1% four times a day in the transplant eye for 3 months, then 3 times a day for one month, then twice a day for one month, then once a day until the subject exits the study.

Interventions: intervention 1: Prednisolone acetate intervention 2: Fluorometholone
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Subjects assigned to Treatment Regimen A will instill 1 drop of prednisolone acetate 1% four times a day in the transplant eye for 3 months, then 3 times a day for one month, then twice a day for one month, then once a day until the subject exits the study. intervention 2: Subjects assigned to Treatment Regimen B will instill 1 drop of prednisolone acetate 1% four times a day in the transplant eye for one month. Then they will instill one drop of fluorometholone four times a day in the transplant eye for 2 months, then 3 times a day for 1 month, then twice a day for 1 month, then once a day until the subject exits the study.

Protocol document: