Asian experience with the Pintucci keratoprosthesis

• Published in: Indian journal of ophthalmology Vol. 54; no. 2; pp. 89 - 94
• Main Authors: Maskati, Quresh B, Maskati, B T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01-06-2006; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Absorbable Implants; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Artificial corneas; asian eyes; biointegrable; Burns, Chemical - surgery; Case studies; Child; Corneal Transplantation; Eye Burns - chemically induced; Eye Burns - surgery; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; India; keratoprosthesis; Male; Middle Aged; Patient outcomes; Pintucci; Prosthesis Design; Prosthesis Implantation - instrumentation; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; India
• ISSN: 0301-4738
• DOI: 10.4103/0301-4738.25828

To report the outcome of a retrospective study of the Pintucci Biointegrable Keratoprosthesis (PBIKP) in Asian eyes.
This was a retrospective analysis of 31 eyes of 31 consecutive patients, who underwent surgery with implantation of the PBIKP. The age ranged from 7 years to 65 years, with a mean age of 34 years. The indications for the PBIKP were chemical burns (11 cases); highly vascularized failed grafts (11 cases); severe dry eyes with total vascularized cornea (6 cases); miscellaneous (3 cases). Twenty eight bilaterally blind Asian patients, with vision not exceeding hand motion close to face in the better eye, underwent the classical two-stage procedure to implant the PBIKP. In another three patients, the PBIKP was implanted as a one-stage procedure. All 31 eyes were unsuitable for keratoplasty or had repeated failed keratoplasties. All patients were followed up for periods ranging from 6 months to 7 years, with a mean of 3.2 years.
No eye had infection or retro prosthetic membrane, which were common complications in other Keratoprostheses designs. Twenty-four of 31 eyes improved to greater than finger counting at 1.5 metres, enabling the patients to function independently. Four of 31 eyes (13%) improved to 20/200 or better. Twelve of 31 eyes had significant complications. However only a few were vision- threatening.
With careful patient selection, the PBIKP could prove to be a useful modality of treatment for bilaterally corneally blind Asian patients, whose vision cannot be improved with conventional medical or surgical treatments.