Effect of regenerative agent on corneal wound healing after corneal cross-linking for keratoconus

Session Details

Session Title: Presented Poster Session: Cornea – Medical

Session Date/Time: Saturday 05/09/2015 | 09:30-11:00

Paper Time: 10:00

Venue: Poster Village: Pod 4

First Author: : D.Liakopoulos GREECE

Co Author(s): :    G. Kymionis   M. Grentzelos   K. Tsoulnaras   E. Detorakis   B. Cochener   M. Tsilimbaris

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To evaluate the effect of a regenerative agent (RGTA, Cacicol20; OTR3, Paris, France) on corneal re-epithelialization and pain after corneal cross-linking (CXL) for keratoconus.

Setting:

Vardinoyiannion Eye Institute of Crete (VEIC), Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Methods:

In this prospective, comparative (contralateral) clinical study, patients with bilateral progressive keratoconus underwent CXL treatment. Corneal epithelium during CXL was removed using transepithelial phototherapeutic keratectomy. One eye of each patient was randomly instilled RGTA (Cacicol20) once a day (study eye), whereas the fellow eye was instilled artificial tears (control eye). Patients were examined daily until complete re-epithelialization. Postoperative examinations included slit-lamp biomicroscopy to assess epithelial defect size and subjective evaluation of pain.

Results:

The study enrolled 18 patients (36 eyes). Mean epithelial defect size for study and control group was 19.55 ± 4.22 mm2 versus 21.50 ± 2.81 mm2, respectively at day 1 (P = .019) and 6.39 ± 3.43 mm2 versus 7.88 ± 4.26 mm2, respectively at day 2 (P = .014). At day 3 postoperatively, 61.1% of study eyes were fully re-epithelialized, compared to 11.1% of control eyes (P = .002).

Conclusions:

RGTA (Cacicol20) instillation resulted in faster corneal re-epithelialization after CXL. However, there was no significant effect in subjective pain/discomfort.

Financial Interest:

NONE