Posters

Refractive meridonal corneal collagen cross-linking: a new modified technique for treatment of astigmatism

Poster Details

First Author: M.Hafez Ahmed Saleem EGYPT

Co Author(s):                  

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of using Corneal Collagen Cross-linking as a refractive procedure to correct the corneal astigmatism.

Setting:

A prospective clinical trial study

Methods:

15 eyes of 11 patients complaining of astigmatism where treated with meridonal cross-linking to correct the refractive error. The principle of treatment is to expose the steep corneal meridians to cross-linking to flatten these meridians thus reducing astigmatism. Group (A) included 8 eyes had previous cross-linking and intra-corneal rings that failed to correct the astigmatic component of keratoconus where subjected to Refractive Meridonal Cross-linking (RMCXL). Group (B) included 7 eyes with astigmatism without corneal ectasia where subjected to RMCXL. The conventional (epithelium-off) CXL procedure was used to treat all eyes. All eyes where subjected to preoperative and postoperative UCVA, BCVA, manifest refraction, slit lamp examination of anterior segment, IOP, fundus examination, keratometry and pachymetry assessed by Pentacam at 1week, 1 month, 3, 6 months follow up period.

Results:

In Group (A), the preoperative mean UCVA was 6/48 while the postoperative mean UCVA was 6/36. The preoperative mean BCVA was 6/24 while the postoperative mean BCVA was 6/18. The preoperative average K was 49.27 D while the postoperative average K was 48.04 D. The mean postoperative astigmatic correction was 1.8 D. In Group (B), the preoperative mean UCVA was 6/36 while the postoperative mean UCVA was 6/20. The preoperative mean BCVA was 6/20 while the postoperative mean BCVA was 6/12. The preoperative average K was 43.72 D while the postoperative average K was 42.55 D. The mean postoperative astigmatic correction was 0.9 D.

Conclusions:

Refractive Meridonal Corneal Collagen Cross-linking (RMCXL) showed a good refractive correction for astigmatism in both ectatic and non-ectatic corneas. RMCXL proved to be a promising new simple, effective and safe procedure to treat corneal astigmatism with reasonable patient satisfaction. However long term studies are mandatory to prove the efficacy and safety of RMCXL. FINANCIAL INTEREST: NONE