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Accelerated corneal cross-linking may prevent astigmatism after cataract surgery
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WARSAW, Poland — Accelerated corneal cross-linking may be employed in cataract surgery to manipulate clear corneal incisions and prevent surgery-induced astigmatism, according to one surgeon.
"Clear corneal incisions produce dramatic changes in topometric maps. These astigmatic changes may go away with time but may otherwise be a factor of poor visual function, especially with multifocal or toric lenses," John Kanellopoulos, MD, said at an industry-sponsored symposium held during the winter meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.
John Kanellopoulos
To test feasibility, Kanellopoulos performed accelerated corneal cross-linking in a patient with significant astigmatism who underwent cataract surgery.
"We placed the incision in the steep axis, and at the end of surgery we enhanced the incision with flash cross-linking," he said.
Riboflavin was used to soak the incision, and residue was rinsed from the anterior chamber. A sponge soaked with riboflavin was used to shield the cornea from ultraviolet light and cross-link the incision only.
A 2 D change was obtained on the 2.8-mm incision.
"This is possibly a new application of cross-linking that deserves further investigation," Kanellopoulos said.
Disclosure: Kanellopoulos is a consultant to Avedro.