Keratoprosthesis in End-Stage Dry Eye

Abstract

In very dry eyes with opaque corneas, regular keratoplasty is rarely successful. In these cases a keratoprosthesis (window of artificial material) seems a logical possibility. Progress in this field has been slow, however. The difficulties have been less related to the materials used, or even to the designs, but rather to the frequent occurrence of tissue necrosis around the device, resulting in leak, infection and even extrusion. Formation of a retroprosthesis membrane as well as late secondary glaucoma or retinal detachment have also diminished the long-term usefulness of this approach. (For a recent review of the field of keratoprostheses, see reference¹).