Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: We investigated a newly designed keratoprosthesis(Kpro), which was able to be operated on penetrating keratoplasty. Our Kpro has a porous polyurethane skirt around optical part, through which we can put sutures with host cornea. In our preliminary rabbit study, gaps at the wound edge were observed. In order to avoid the problem, we modified the thickness of the skirt in this study. Methods: We implanted two different types of Kros, 0.7 and 0.4mm in skirt thickness, to rabbit eyes and studied histologically of the wound edge two weeks after the surgery. Then, we implanted Kpros with 0.4mm in skirt thickness to 10 rabbits and observed their anterior segments using the slit lamp microscope. Results: Histological findings revealed that there were some epithelial downgrowth in 0.7mm skirt model, however, in 0.4mm skirt model, the wound adaptation was very good with covering of some stroma on the surface of the skirt without any epithelilal downgrowth. In long term study of 0.4mm skirt model, there was no wound gap and extrusion, however, corneal infection was observed in 6 out of 10 eyes between 10 and 28 weeks after the surgery. The remained 4 eyes survived 37 weeks in an average at present. Conclusion: It was demonstrated that our modified designed Kpro with 0.4mm skirt thickness had good wound adaptation and survived for a long time, because some stroma covered the skirt surface. We must overcome the post operative corneal infection in the future.
Keywords: 451 keratoprostheses • 316 animal model • 607 transplantation