12 Months' Outcomes of Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking for Keratoconus Patients in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: keratoconus is a degenerative disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea becomes thin and accompanied by changes in its shape. Corneal collagen cross linking is one of the options to treat keratoconic eye by using riboflavin drops and UV light. Purpose: was to assess the safety and efficacy of corneal collagen cross-linking and to investigate the refractive and topographic outcomes before and after the surgery. Methods: this is a retrospective randomized study enrolling 77 patients with keratoconic eyes, we gathered the data of refractive (Sphere and cylinder), keratometry (K1, K2), pachymetry readings before and up to 12 months after corneal collagen cross-linking procedure in Binrushd Ophthalmologic Clinic Centre. Results: in this study, male to female ratio was 2.6:1. Age of patients ranged between 15-41 years old. Mean outcomes at 1 year postoperatively were K2 (-0.89) Dipolar, K1 was -0.53) Dipolar. The thinnest area of the cornea (Pachymetry) improved by a mean of 23 microns. In addition to that, the results showed a clinically significant improvement in K-reading, pachymetry and refractive error in both males and females patients regarding to the p value which reached 0.23. Conclusion: corneal collagen cross-linking is a safe modality to treat keratoconic eye in delaying or preventing the progression of the disease.