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New treatment option for LASIK-induced ectasia shows promise
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WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — An experimental corneal stiffening technique has shown promise for treating ectasia resulting from LASIK surgery, according to a surgeon speaking here at Hawaii 2005, The Royal Hawaiian Eye Meeting.
Maria Regina Chalita, MD, described ongoing studies taking place at her university in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in conjunction with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and IROC in Zurich, Switzerland.
According to Dr. Chalita, the technique of cross-linking can provide a stable, more rigid cornea. Cross-linking can be induced enzymatically, by means of aldehydes, or by combining a photosensitizing agent with ultraviolet light, she said.
She and colleagues are testing the effectiveness of the photosensitizer riboflavin and UV-A cross-linking in 20 patients who have had previous LASIK surgery and who have shown progression of ectasia.
Previous studies have shown that this approach has stopped the progression of ectasia and has provided overall good visual outcomes. Dr. Chalita said initial results of her study are promising, but follow-up is ongoing.
Other potential applications of the cross-linking technique could include the prevention of keratectasia after LASIK, the extension of the range of correction of LASIK and the prevention of biomechanical regression after laser thermal keratoplasty, Dr. Chalita said.