The procedure, called keratoprosthesis, is recommended for patients who have no other options. Keratoprosthesis is an uncommon surgery, as only a handful of patients undergo the procedure annually in the United States. For those patients, keratoprosthesis means the difference between sight and blindness. They include corneal scarring from autoimmune disease, chemical burns to the eye, and multiple corneal transplant procedures that have failed. The procedure works for more than half of all patients who undergo it, and after surgery many patients can see well for up to five to ten to many years.
Surgery involves replacing the cornea with a plastic prosthetic cornea.
The implant is embedded into a donor cornea and sutured into the eye. The patients eyelids are then sewn shut. Approximately eight weeks later doctors open the eye and, in many cases, sight is restored. In some cases the eyelid is permanently sewn shut and the device is inserted through it. The surgeon also implants a small pressure valve to help control post-operative glaucoma, which is high pressure in the eye, a possible complication of this procedure.