Journal of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9570
+44 1223 790975
ISSN: 2155-9570
+44 1223 790975
Soledad Cortina
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Exp Ophthalmol
The introduction of the type I Boston Keratoprosthesis (KPro) by Dohlman and associates in 1974 was a major development in the management of patients with corneal disease and poor prognosis for traditional penetrating keratoplasty. The Boston keratoprosthesis has benefited from a great increase in popularity in the last several years due to the continuous improvements in its design as well as changes in postoperative management introduced since the FDA approval in 1992. The favorable outcomes reported in most studies of Boston keratoprosthesis are definitely encouraging, but are mostly focusing on the corneal surgeon�??s definition of success, based on excellent device retention, good visual acuity results, and acceptable complication rates. However, a correlation with patient�??s performance of daily activities is lacking. Some studies have shown that the perceived benefit of treatment by patients may differ from what the ophthalmologist defines as success and therefore, taking into consideration the subjective perception of patient�??s own disease and visual function is imperative in the care of these patients. In this prospective study, we utilized the NEI VFQ-25 to determine the impact of Boston KPro implantation on patient-reported visual function. We specifically targeted two questions: Does the quality of life of patients implanted with Boston KPro change significantly over the course of their post-operative treatment, and do patients who have unilateral disease or better vision in the contralateral eye also show improvement in vision related quality of life measures?