Epithelium-on customised corneal collagen cross-linking for keratoconus

Session Details

Session Title: Corneal Cross-Linking

Session Date/Time: Monday 16/09/2019 | 16:00-18:00

Paper Time: 17:30

Venue: South 5

First Author: : S.Koronis GREECE

Co Author(s): :    A. Rasoglou   A. Adamopoulou   E. Siskou   M. Balidis                    

Abstract Details

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of epithelium-on, customized corneal collagen cross-linking (CuRV) 6 months after the operation.

Setting:

All patients were treated in Ophthalmica Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece between 05/2018 and 01/2019.

Methods:

This study includes 18 eyes of 15 patients diagnosed with keratoconus. CuRV is a novel cross-linking protocol which enables topographically guided cross-linking using higher energy at the apex of the cone, while keeping the epithelium intact. Visual acuity was examined and corneal topography was performed on all eyes preoperatively. Each eye is scheduled for follow-up examination at the 1st, 3rd and 6th postoperative month, with arepeat of visual acuity examination, corneal topography and anterior optical coherence tomography. We will report changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), K values, anterior and posterior elevation and the demarcation line.

Results:

All 18 eyes have reached the 1st month of follow-up, 10 eyes the 3rd and 3 eyes the 6th. Our preliminary results have shown significant increase in BCVA at the 3rd month of follow-up as compared to baseline (mean BCVA difference: -0.18 ± 0.1 in logMAR units; p=0.003) as well as significant reduction of K values and anterior elevation (mean Kmean difference: -1.36 ± 1.28 D; p=0.008, mean Kmax difference: -1.58 ± 1.23 D; p=0.003, mean anterior elevation difference: -4.4 ± 3.98 μm; p=0.007). The mean demarcation line depth at the 1st postoperative month was 328.5 μm.

Conclusions:

CuRV appears very promising in combining the cross-linking effect with topographical improvement directly at the affected parts of the cornea, while at the same time minimizing patient discomfort by keeping the epithelium intact. We expect our results to be strengthened when all patients complete the 6 month follow-up, by 07/2019.

Financial Disclosure:

None