Superficial corneal crosslinking during LASIK

Session Details

Session Title: Photoablation, Cross-Linking and Intracorneal Ring Segment

Session Date/Time: Monday 07/09/2015 | 08:00-10:30

Paper Time: 08:24

Venue: Room 16

First Author: : T.Seiler SWITZERLAND

Co Author(s): :    I. Fischinger   T. Koller   V. Derhartunian   T. Seiler           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To determine the safety of superficial corneal crosslinking (SCXL) after LASIK.

Setting:

Institut für Refraktive und Ophthalmo-Chirurgie (IROC), Zurich, Switzerland

Methods:

In a prospective study, 76 eyes of 76 patients were treated with LASIK for myopia correction and followed for up to 1 year. All eyes had an ectasia risk score of 2 and more. After the standard LASIK (90μm-flap) a rapid CXL was performed in the interface (riboflavin 0.5% for 2 minutes, 9mW/cm² for 5 minutes). Additional to the standard follow up-examinations at 1 and 12 months post operatively at any appointment a corneal OCT-scan was performed. The incidence of complications was statistically compared to a group of eyes treated with standard LASIK and matched regarding age, gender and attempted refractive correction.

Results:

At 1 month after surgery, 5 eyes of the SCXL group had lost one line in CDVA compared to 1 eye of the control group (p<0.05). All eyes had regained preoperative CDVA at 1 year after surgery indicating a complication rate of less than 5%. Refractive success was identical in both groups. Early post-operative complications like erosions (16%) and DLK1 (38%) and DLK2 (5%) were significantly more frequent after SCXL leading to a significantly reduced UDVA at one month (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

Based on 1 year-results, SCXL might be considered a safe adjunct to LASIK with a retarded visual rehabilitation and a higher prevalence of transient side effects. Whether SCXL is capable to prevent iatrogenic keratectasia is not proven.

Financial Interest:

NONE