Patient Regains Sight Following Artificial Cornea Implantation
Corneal surgeon here ! (Note : I never implanted a keratoprosthesis. This is an extremely unfrequent procedure, usually performed by a handful of surgeons in a given country). 
Some insights about this topic.
This looks like a great device (never heard before !).
This is a keratoprosthesis, meaning this is a last recourse, &quot;no-hope-except-maybe-that&quot;, procedure.
However it looks infinitely more simple and respectful of the eye integrity than current keratoprosthesis, and, if it really acts like a scaffold for native corneal cells and allows a colonization and the obtention of a satisfying corneal surface, it could be a game changer. It is way too soon to know.<p>A significant percentage (I would say around 40-70%, depending on the 
country) of corneal graft indications originates from pathologies coming from the inner layer of the cornea (corneal endothelium). Posterior lamellar graft (DMEK) allows today to change only the thin cellular layer which is pathological, with an usually quick recovery. Even the best performing keratoprosthesis won&#x27;t replace this procedure, because we care to preserve the eye&#x27;s integrity as much as we can.<p>It is interesting to remember that corneal transplantation is a very special topic because the cornea is not vascularized, meaning less rejection. There still is, of course, but the outcomes as usually good. Keratoprosthesis are today indicated when previous grafts where rejected, when the other structures of the eye are healthy, and when the vision is extremely low. This allows to gain a few years of very low vision before, usually, losing the eye due to infection or high ocular pressure.<p>The technology presented has the potential:
- to replace current keratoprosthesis and lower the threshold to decide to perform the procedure : yes, almost sure if the device is well-tolerated
- to replace perforating keratoplasty (full corneal replacement, unfrequent today) where the cornea is damaged in its entirety: maybe, highly uncertain for the moment. That would be an incredible step forward, a revolution in our practice.
- to replace anterior lamellar keratoplasty, where the anterior wall of the cornea is replaced : highly unlikely
- to replace posterior lamellar keratoplasty, where the cornea lacks transparency because of inner layer cellular dysfunction: almost impossible.<p>I would also like to raise awareness on the topic of eye rubbing. The eye surgeon community progressively discovers the highly harmful consequences of vigorous and daily eye rubbing. A few teams (mine, notably) even think that it is the single trigger for keratoconus. You will find a nice illustrations of what a rubbed eye looks like in MRI I by googling &quot;don&#x27;t rub your eye&quot; (this is me in the MRI ;-) and more explanations here : <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;defeatkeratoconus.com&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;defeatkeratoconus.com&#x2F;</a>