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Updated: Mar 22, 2026
A Structured Rehabilitation Protocol for Improved Multifunctional Prosthetic Control: A Case Study
Published on: November 6, 2015
Type 1 Boston keratoprosthesis: outcomes at two Canadian centres
Christopher W Noel1, Jordan Isenberg1, Yakov Goldich1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
Objectives:
To report the outcomes of patients who underwent Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis (Kpro) surgery at the University Health Network (Toronto, Ont.) and the University of Ottawa Eye Institute (Ottawa, Ont.) between June 2008 and July 2013.
Design:
Retrospective case series.
Participants:
Forty-four eyes of 43 patients who underwent Kpro surgery.
Methods:
A retrospective review was conducted of all Kpro procedures performed by 4 attending cornea surgeons. The preoperative characteristics and postoperative course of each patient were analyzed.
Results:
In 31 eyes (70%), the primary indication for a Kpro was failed corneal transplantation. The remaining 13 eyes (30%) had Kpro as a primary procedure. In all eyes, preoperative visual acuity (VA) was 20/150 or worse, with 39 eyes (89%) having a VA of counting fingers, hand movement, or light perception. Mean follow-up time was 21 ± 12 months (range 12-57 months). The retention rate at the last follow-up was 95%. Best-achieved median VA was 20/100 (range 20/20 to no light perception [NLP]), with 37% of patients achieving a VA of >20/40 at some point during their postoperative course. At the last follow-up, median VA was 20/400 (range 20/30 to NLP). The 2 most common complications included retroprosthetic membrane formation (23 eyes, 52%) and elevated intraocular pressure (10 eyes, 23%). There were 5 cases (11%) of stromal melt and 1 case (2%) of infective keratitis.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates that Kpro improves VA in a majority of cases, and is a viable option in situations in which there is a poor prognosis for traditional penetrating keratoplasty.
