title: Keratoprosthesis surgery as an alternative to keratoplasty.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eivenių 2, 50028 Kaunas, Lithuania. pauliusrudalevicius@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jašinskas
authors.forename: Paulius
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudalevičius
authors.forename: Arūnas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miliauskas
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milčius
authors.forename: Ula V
authors.initials: UV
authors.lastname: Jurkūnas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000601:surgery; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D065306:Corneal Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000601:surgery*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation