Role for autologous corneas as a carrier for the Boston Keratoprosthesis

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility for autologous corneas as a carrier for the Boston Keratoprosthesis.Methods It was a retrospective case series study.Ten eyes (10 patients) with severe cornea neovascularization that underwent Boston KPro type Ⅰ implantation at the PLA General Hospital.Of these 10 eyes,7 had severe chemical burns, 1 had an explosion injury, 1 experienced a multiple penetrate keratoplasty failure, and 1 had a severe neovascularization cornea from herpes simplex keratitis (HSK).Patients were not appropriate candidates for anterior lamellar keratoplasty due to severely scarred eyelids or full-thickness central corneal scars.All patients received an aphakic KPro with a polymethyl methacrylate backplate and a titanium locking ring assembled around an 8.0-8.5 mm trephinated ipsilateral autologous cornea. An extracapsular cataract extraction was performed on all patients through the corneal trephination opening.Postoperative data from 1-12 months were reported,including compliance,visual outcomes and complications. Results Patients were followup for 5.7 ± 3.8 months. Preoperative visual acuity ranged from counting fingers to light perception. Best corrected postoperative visual acuity ranged from 160/200 to light perception.Anatomic success was achieved in all eyes. Conclusion Autologous corneas as a carrier for the Boston Keratoprosthesis may be a solution for the shortage of donor cornea. Key words: Blindness; Corneal transplantation; Keratoprosthesis; Autologous cornea