Address Corneal Blindness with a Complete DMEK RAPID Portfolio
In order to overcome the rising number of corneal blindness, every year over 100.000 corneas are being transplanted. The EEBA estimated the lifetime value of its donation and transplantation in 2018 to be approximately 6 Billion USD (https://restoresight.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2020_StatReport_Graphic_Logo-1.jpg).
Over the last decades innovative surgeons and companies pushed together for optimization and perfection to enable highest quality transplantation and the best possible outcome for the patient. One of the results is the DMEK procedure, which since 2004 is on the rise to become the most performed keratoplasty. With over 28% of all keratoplasty procedures being endothelial keratoplasties and an annual growth of over 23% over the last 4 years, DMEK has become the procedure of choice for Fuchs endothelial dystrophy and other indications.
One of the big challenges in DMEK is the very thin and vulnerable graft that is exposed during preparation and requires a certain level of skill set and training by the surgeon. The highest risk associated with preparation is the loss of endothelial cells and cell density which might result in long-term graft failure.
Another risk is a cancelled surgery due to a failed graft preparation, where an already sedated patient needs to return back home without surgery. This is not only inconvenient for the patient but also for the clinic, because of re-scheduling and thus higher costs per case. Especially during a pandemic all factors, like a reliable OR schedule and perfect usage of available donor tissue play a crucial role in successful health care management.
In order to overcome these daily threats in DMEK and to improve clinical outcomes, Prof. Szurman (Sulzbach Eye Clinic, Germany) and the German Society for Tissue Transplantation (DGFG) invented the first transportation and injection system for preloading Descemet membranes – the DMEK RAPID.
The DMEK RAPID system in combination with a preloaded Descemet membrane received approval by the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), the Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines in Germany. Thus, DMEK RAPID is the first and sole approved device for preloaded Descemet membranes on the market in 2021.
DMEK RAPID enables less experienced surgeons to perform safe and successful DMEK by focusing on the implantation and outsourcing critical steps of preparation to an external specialized eye bank. The unrivaled and unique design of DMEK RAPID allows for safe storage and transportation of the graft up to 72 hours at a low loss of endothelial cells through an optimized flow of nutrition medium within the transportation cartridge.
Besides the outstanding glass cannula, Geuder offers a variety of specialized instruments for an easy and successful DMEK workflow in the OR. The SAAD Unfolding Cannula e.g. enables safe and controlled unrolling, soft irrigation and precise positioning of the graft.
Another DMEK highlight is the SZURMAN Descemet Scraper for easy and complete removal of the patient´s Descemet membrane and the DMEK Rhexis Forceps for safe positioning of the graft.
A further highlight in our DMEK portfolio is the ready-to-use SF6 gas (20%) which, compared to air, reduces re-bubbling rates after implantation.
Our VIORON staining solution is the only trypan blue dye which is especially approved for DMEK and perfect for staining the Descemet for better visibility during implantation or separation of the Descemet from the stroma with the liquid-bubble technique during preparation.
For eye banks we also offer a wide range of NanoEdge single-use trephines, corneal punches, preparation blocks and single-use knives.