Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07373821

Influence of Supine Positioning on the Outcomes After Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK)

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a longer period of lying on the back after corneal transplant surgery (Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty, DMEK) helps the transplant stick better in the eye. It will also learn about side effects, such as back pain.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does lying on the back for 5 days reduce the size of transplant detachment compared to lying on the back for only 1 day? * Do participants who lie on their back longer need fewer additional procedures (rebubbling)? * What symptoms or problems do participants experience with short vs. long back positioning?

Researchers will compare two groups:

* 1 day of back positioning * 5 days of back positioning

Participants will:

* Be randomly assigned to one of the two positioning groups * Wear a movement sensor that records head position * Have their eyes checked regularly with vision tests and imaging (AS-OCT) * Answer questions about their vision and comfort * Keep a diary of any positioning-related complaints, such as back pain

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Heidelberg

Heidelberg, 69120, Germany

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Maximilian Friedrich, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+49 6221 56 37749

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy Bullous Keratopathy

Exclusion criteria

Comorbidities preventing supine positioning

Treatment and study plan

Duration of Supine Positioning

Procedure

1 day supine positioning vs 5 days supine positioning

Primary outcomes

  1. Area of Graft Detachment in mm²

    Time frame: First two postoperative weeks

    The area of graft detachment will be measured in mm² using anterior segment optical coherence tomography and a custom-built segmentation tool

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Maximilian Friedrich, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+49 6221 56 37749

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital Heidelberg

Other

Registry information

Acronym: SUPINE

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jan 28, 2026
Registry last updated
Jan 28, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.