A Tooth for an Eye : The Osteo - Odonto - Keratoprosthesis ( OOKP ) - A Review

Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis (OOKP) or ‘Tooth-in-eye surgery’, the original technique was described by Benedetto Strampelli nearly fifty years ago, using the patient’s own tooth root and alveolar bone as vital support to an optical cylinder, for patients with the most severe type of corneal and ocular surface diseases, for whom other treatments would not be useful. The cornea is replaced by a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) optical cylinder glued to a biological support (haptic) made by human living tissue. Prof.Giancarlo Falcinelli has refined and improved this procedure, in a step wise manner. OOKP surgery requires multidisciplinary team approach. Possible complications of this procedure include ulceration of the implant buccal mucosa, ocular infection and secondary glaucoma. This review article describes the Osteo-OdontoKeratoprosthesis (OOKP) indications, surgical procedures, advantages and limitations.