Boston keratoprosthesis - Clinical outcomes with wider geographic use and expanding indications - A systematic review

Over 2 decades of research, several design modifications, and improvements in post-operative management have made Boston keratoprosthesis (B-KPro) a viable option for patients with corneal blindness for whom traditional keratoplasty procedure has a very low probability of success. In this systematic review, we examined the indications, visual outcomes, complications and retention rate of the literature published in the past 10 years (2005-2014). While most of the studies report smaller datasets (typically <50 eyes), some of the recent multicenter studies have reported large datasets (up to 300 eyes). Most of the literature is published from the US; however, last few years have witnessed some papers reporting the successful use of B-Kpro from developing countries or arid climatic conditions (such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). Due to differences in the causes of corneal blindness in different geographic regions, newer indications for B-Kpro are emerging (e.g. trachoma). Additionally, improving clinical outcomes and increasing surgeon confidence have also expanded indications to include cases of unilateral visual impairment and paediatric age. We observed that there is growing body of evidence of successful clinical use of B-KPro; however, financial challenges, lack of trained surgeons, shortage of donor corneas must be overcome to improve accessibility of B-KPro.