TEMPORARY KERATOPROSTHESIS COMBINED WITH VITRECTOMY FOR SEVERE GLOBE INJURY

To describe a case of a 44-year-old man with ocular trauma after a mine explosion. From the moment of the injury, the patient reported significant visual impairment (no perception of light in the right eye and a perception of light without localization in the left eye). The patient was diagnosed with a double-sided penetrating corneal scleral wound and traumatic cataract, retinal detachment, and intraocular foreign bodies after a battlefield mine explosion.

The three-stage procedure, consisting of using soft contact lens as temporary keratoprosthesis, vitrectomy, and penetrating keratoplasty, was performed in the damaged eye.

A soft contact lens allowed for excellent visualization of the posterior segment during vitrectomy. At the 1-month follow-up, the eye that was operated on could sense light. The corneal transplant remained translucent, and the retina was attached.

The described method, when performed by an experienced surgeon, may aid in simultaneously treating coexisting corneal opacification and vitreoretinal disorders.