What is Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK)?

Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) is a special kind of eye surgery that helps fix blurry vision by replacing a worn-out part of the eye with a new, healthy one.

Imagine your eye is like a window. The clear front part is like the glass you see through, but deep inside, there's another layer that helps keep things clear, kind of like the endothelium. This layer can get tired and worn out over time, making your vision blurry, just like a foggy or smudged window.

In DMEK, doctors take a thin piece of healthy tissue, called the Descemet membrane with its endothelium, from a donor eye. They then carefully place this new layer into the worn-out part of your eye, like putting in a clean, clear sheet of glass to fix a foggy window.

This new layer helps your eye stay clear again so you can see better, just like how a fresh window lets more light in and makes everything look sharper.