Keratoprostheses, Artificial Cornea
Artificial Cornea Human Cornea
Keratoprostheses this is a type of surgery that use artificial cornea, It’s an advances in surgical technique and material design, a breakthrough in medical technology that have allowed the development of “artificial corneas”, or keratoprostheses. It’s a big leap for the corneal surgery, implanting an “artificial cornea” that would restore a patient’s vision would reach millions and save vision in countless individuals. For often times the eye bank has shortage of cornea donor. This type of surgery is very difficult to use and are still being investigate, although it’s used when it’s impossible to get a donor to transplant to the person with severe scarring of the socket where the lid doesn’t operate normally would undergo this artificial cornea’s procedure. The ideal keratoprosthesis would be inert and not be rejected by the patient’s immune system, be inexpensive and maintain long-term clarity. In addition, it would be quick to implant, easy to examine and allow an excellent view of the retina.
But, despite these success rates, a high rate of complications continues to plague keratoprosthetic surgery. Endophthalmitis, glaucoma and extrusion of the implant are serious complications that continue to occur even with newer generation materials. Other complications include sterile vitritis and the formation of a retrolental fibrotic membrane that blocks the visual axis and reduces visual acuity. Sometimes, these membranes can be disrupted with YAG laser surgery; however, others are too thick to do so with laser and need to be removed with intraocular procedures. Due to these complications, most surgeons do not perform keratoprosthesis surgery unless the patient is blinded bilaterally from a select few diseases for which corneal transplantation is not an option.
For eye transplant procedure, using human cornea is still the easiest and safest and preferably. Wherefore the Eye bank is looking forward for more qualified donor of their cornea, to become a donor one must be dead by nature, and those patients with an ocular tumor in the back of their eye, wherein the removal of their cornea can be donated and can still be useful for cornea transplant.
