Cataract extraction after implantation of a type I Boston keratoprosthesis

PURPOSE: To describe cataract extraction and intraocular lens placement in a patient with an existing Type I Boston keratoprosthesis. METHODS: Case report to describe the surgical technique used to remove a cataract that developed after Boston keratoprosthesis placement. RESULTS: Extracapsular cataract extraction by using an open-sky technique can be used to remove a cataractous lens in the setting of an existing Boston keratoprosthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Although this case shows that it is possible to perform cataract surgery after Boston keratoprosthesis placement, it is prudent to remove the crystalline lens during the initial surgery, even in the absence of a visually significant cataract, because several factors work together to almost guarantee eventual cataract development if the patient is left phakic.