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PRK plus cross-linking stabilizes corneas, reduces aberrations in keratoconus
PRK plus cross-linking may be an alternative method in stabilizing corneas and reducing higher-order aberrations while enhancing visual acuity in eyes with keratoconus, according to a study.
The prospective, interventional, nonrandomized clinical trial included 34 eyes of 17 patients divided into two groups. The PRK plus cross-linking group comprised the worse eye of each patient, and the cross-linking alone group comprised the better eye.
Patients were followed for 24 months.
In the PRK plus cross-linking group, logMAR uncorrected distance acuity improved from 0.63 at baseline to 0.19 at 24 months (P < .05) and logMAR best distance acuity improved from 0.06 to 0.03 (P < .05).
The combination group had significant improvements in manifest refraction spherical equivalent, spherical power, cylindrical power, and total and coma-like aberrations. Flattest simulated, steepest simulated, average simulated, cylindrical simulated and apex keratometry also all improved.
In the cross-linking alone group, logMAR best distance acuity improved from 0.06 to 0.04 and logMAR uncorrected distance acuity improved from 0.59 to 0.52. The differences were not significant.
The cross-linking alone group did not have significant improvements in manifest refraction spherical equivalent, cylindrical power, total and coma-like aberrations, and flattest simulated, cylindrical simulated and apex keratometry.