Keratoprosthesis surgery as an alternative to keratoplasty

Corneal transplant surgery after chemical or thermal burns has a very low success rate. Vision in these patients can be restored by using an artificial cornea (keratoprosthesis). In this report, we present 5 clinical cases of implanting a fresh corneal graft with Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis in patients with corneas inappropriate for standard corneal transplantation. The mean follow-up was 26.4 months (range, 12 to 36 months; SD, 13.1). The main measures of outcomes were visual acuity and keratoprosthesis stability. At least 1 year after the operation (5 eyes), vision acuity was >0.1 in 100% of the eyes and >0.4 in 50% of the eyes. Retention of the initial keratoprosthesis was 100%. The results of this study seem to be similar to those reported internationally. The anatomical and visual functions of the eyes were stable after keratoprosthesis implantation, though for a longer follow-up period, additional surgical procedures may be required.