[Perspectives of posterior lamellar keratoplasty. In search of the perfect lamella].

Corneal endothelial diseases, such as Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy and bullous keratopathy represent the most common indications for keratoplasty. Replacement of the entire cornea by penetrating keratoplasty has been the gold standard in treating corneal endothelial diseases for many decades. However, recently new and innovative surgical techniques for selective endothelial replacement have been developed. These are Descemet stripping (automated) endothelial keratoplasty (DS(A)EK), Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) and hybrid techniques of both. The distinct advantages and drawbacks of lamellar and penetrating techniques reveal the need of comparative studies to find out which method is suitable for which patient, particularly with regard to long-term visual rehabilitation.