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Thermokeratoplasty may show potential for treating myopia
 Michael B. Raizman |
NEW YORK — Microwave treatment for keratoconus appears to produce dramatic improvements in cornea shape and may be useful in treating myopia as well, a speaker said here.
"The use of heat in a microwave application to reshape the cornea is available for a variety of indications, including myopia," Michael B. Raizman, MD, said at OSN New York 2011.
The Keraflex system (Avedro), which is not available in the United States, uses an annular application of microwave energy to flatten the cornea in combination with collagen cross-linking.
"Cross-linking is important because otherwise the cornea tends to resume its original shape," Dr. Raizman said.
For patients with myopia, predictable flattening of the cornea could be achieved by adjusting the delivery parameters to alter the refractive error, Dr. Raizman said. However, long-term results are not known.
One potential approach to treating myopia is to overtreat, allow the patient to regress and then perform corneal collagen cross-linking once the desired change has been achieved, Dr. Raizman said.
Application in presbyopic patients is also possible, but clinical trials are needed, he said.
- Disclosure: Dr. Raizman is a consultant for Avedro.