Dear Editor,

We read with great interest the article entitled “Long-term outcomes with Boston type I keratoprosthesis in ocular burns”⁽¹⁾, in which the results of Boston K-Pro in 12 eyes was evaluated. The authors concluded that type I Boston KPro “is a continuous thread that may result in irreversible visual loss in this population.” The potential long-term complications of K-Pro are actually sight-threatening and sometimes irreversible, as reported by several studies, including one by our group⁽²⁾, which found that the retention rate was 85.71% in 33 eyes during a mean follow-up period of 56.1 months, similar to the report by Magalhães’ et al. and with a similar complication rate. Nevertheless, we need to stress that, regardless of the risks of sight-threatening complications, these patients were blind, and after KPro implantation, their quality of life had improved significantly⁽¹⁾. Therefore, even with the risks of serious complications, Boston type I KPro should be offered to these patients, with a complete understanding and acceptance of these potential risks of sight-threatening complications.

REFERENCES

1. Magalhães FP, Hirai FE, Sousa LB, Oliveira LA. Long-term outcomes with Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis in ocular burns. Arq Bras Oftalmol. 2018;81(3):177-82.

2. Lansini T, Kwitko S. Quality of Life in Patients with Dohlman-Doane Type 1 Keratoprosthesis (Boston Kpro). J Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2015;6:4. Doi: 10.4172/2155-9570.1000447.

Submitted for publication: January 24, 2019.
Accepted for publication: January 29, 2019.

Funding: No specific financial support was available for this study

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest: None of the authors have any potential conflicts of interest to disclose