Long-term clinical course of LASIK/LASEK combined with collagen cross-linking

Session Details

Session Title: Surgical Cornea

Session Date/Time: Tuesday 25/09/2018 | 16:30-18:00

Paper Time: 17:18

Venue: Room A3, Podium 3

First Author: : K.Shin SOUTH KOREA

Co Author(s): :    S. Choi   J. Kim   D. Paik   K. Shin   T. Chung   D. Lim     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

It has been reported that the rate of complications such as keratoconus increases with decreasing thickness of the remainder cornea following photorefractive surgeries such as laser-assisted in situ keratomilieusis (LASIK) or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). In order to overcome such devastating post-surgical complications, corneal cross-linking has been introduced to enhance corneal resilience after photorefractive surgery in highly myopic eyes. In this study, we investigated the long-term clinical course of LASIK and LASEK surgery when combined with corneal collagen cross-linking in high myopia patients.

Setting:

Samsung Medical Center, Sung Kyun Kwan University School of Medicine

Methods:

This is a retrospective study in which, from April, 2014 to May, 2015, a total of 246 subject, 481 eyes, underwent either LASIK or PRK combined with corneal cross-linking (LASIK-XTRA® or LASEK-XTRA®, respectively). The postoperative changes in visual acuity, refraction, high-order aberrations, corneal endothelial cell count and corneal opacity were observed at 1, 3, 6 months after the surgery.

Results:

LASIK-XTRA® and LASEK-XTRA® groups both showed significantly enhanced visual acuity and refraction in all follow-up periods after surgery. There was no statistical difference in preoperative and postoperative visual acuity and refraction between the two groups. A significant postoperative increase in corneal opacity was observed in both groups. In 5 eyes, corneal opacity manifested in clinical symptoms, such as decreased visual acuity and increased aberrations, showing statistical correlations with corneal flattening with hyperopic changes.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, LASIK and PRK showed acceptable results suggesting photorefractive surgeries are safe and efficacious when combined with corneal cross-linking. However, the rate of postoperative corneal opacity including hyperopic changes is not low and cautious approach for further investigation is required.

Financial Disclosure:

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