Evaluation of Epi-Crosslinking in Removing Epithelium in Mild Keratoconus
Narrative Responses:
Purpose
To evaluate if exist any difference between the standard manual scraping epithelial removal or making it with the Moria Epi-K, related with postop symptoms like pain and visual complaining also in visual recovery, visual acuity, refractive correction, keratometric change and stability through time.
Methods
Comparative prospective study of the results in patients with mild keratoconus, who received crosslinking, with manual and Epi-K epithelial removal, comparison in refraction, visual acuity corrected and uncorrected, residual defect, refractive effect and keratometric change.
Results
Patients who received crosslinking with Epi-K epithelium removal had less postop pain at the first day and the epithelium recovery was better at the 1 week follow up, also the irradiation area looks more precise and limited. Until now there are 19 eyes of 12 patients with Epi-K epithelium removal and 35 eyes of 27 patients with manual scraping with 12 months of follow-up both groups, some of them with intra stromal rings in the fellow eye and others with custom PRK in the crosslinking eye with up to 2 years follow-up.
Conclusion
Epi-Crosslinking helps the patient for better postop recovery and facilitate the epithelium removal to the surgeon, given more accurate measurement of the irradiated area and even more, the refractive results are better than the manual epithelium removal.