Background/aims: To evaluate the Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis (KPro-1) in treatment of eyes with primary congenital glaucoma.
Methods: A retrospective review was performed of every eye with congenital glaucoma that was treated with a KPro-1 at a tertiary eye care centre between 1 January 2008 and 1 July 2014. The main outcome measures were visual outcome, prosthesis retention and postoperative complications.
Results: Six eyes of six patients met the inclusion criteria. This included two paediatric patients, aged 6 months and 6 years, and four adults who were 27-33 years of age. Preoperatively, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was worse than 20/400 in every eye. Three eyes had hand motions and one eye had light perception vision. After a mean follow-up period of 31 months (range 16-51 months), three eyes (50.0%) had a BCVA that was ≥20/400. Overall, the BCVA improved in four eyes (66.7%), and remained the same in two eyes (33.3%). The device was retained in six eyes (83.3%). One or more complications occurred in five eyes (83.3%) and included sterile corneal ulceration (three eyes), retroprosthetic membrane formation (three eyes), progressive glaucomatous optic neuropathy (two eyes), device extrusion (one eye) and an epiretinal membrane (one eye).
Conclusions: The Boston KPro-1 has an excellent prognosis for retention in eyes with congenital glaucoma. The visual prognosis remains guarded due to the high prevalence of pre-existing ocular comorbidity and the common occurrence of sight-threatening postoperative complications.
Keywords: Cornea; Glaucoma; Treatment Surgery.
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