Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin

A developing keratoconus treatment is Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin (C3-R^®), that has been proven to strengthen the weak corneal structure. This method works by increasing collagen crosslinking, which are the natural "anchors" within the cornea. These anchors are responsible for preventing the cornea from bulging out and becoming steep and irregular, consequence of advanced keratoconus.

Keratoconus is a disease of the cornea that makes the cornea become weak and may gradually bulge outward. Most often, this bulging is in the lower half of the cornea and first presents as astigmatism, however not all astigmatism is due to keratoconus. In mild or early stages of keratoconus (forme fruste keratoconus), eyeglasses may correct the astigmatic vision.

The 30-minute corneal crosslinking treatment is performed in the doctor's office. During the treatment, custom-made riboflavin eye drops are applied to the cornea, which is then activated by ultraviolet light. This amazingly simple process has been shown in laboratory and clinical studies to increase the amount of collagen cross-linking in the cornea and strengthen the cornea. In published European studies, such treatments were proven safe and effective in patients.

The abnormal curvature of the cornea due to keratoconus changes the cornea’s refractive error producing moderate to severe blurriness of vision. As keratoconus advances, rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses maybe the only non-surgical way to achieve clear vision. If keratoconus continues to advance, scarring of the central cornea may occur.

Approximately half of keratoconus patients have no negative lifestyle effects beyond corrective lenses. The cornea stabilizes after a few years without ever causing severe vision problems. For others, the only resolution to keratoconus has been PKP, with a long healing period and unpredictable refractive error. Even after corneal transplant PKP, keratoconus can reoccur in the new donor cornea. Fortunately, there are two new methods to treat keratoconus that are much less invasive than a corneal transplant.

An established treatment for keratoconus is Intacs. Intacs are a medical device approved by the FDA for the correction of 1.00 to 3.00 diopters of myopia (nearsighted, shortsighted) and virtually no astigmatism. Intacs inserts are the only refractive surgery procedure that adds structural integrity to the cornea. This unique attribute made Intacs an ideal treatment for keratoconus.

Intacs are clear small semicircular plastic rings of various thickness that are inserted within the cornea at its outer edges. Insertion of these rings flatten the central area of the cornea and correct myopic refractive error. A major advantage of Intacs is that no tissue is removed and there is no ablation or incision across the visual axis.

Intacs surgery is not truly reversible because of the incision, but the Intacs can be completely removed or exchanged for a different size. Intacs inserts cannot be felt by the patient and are no more visible than a contact lens. After insertion and healing, Intacs require no maintenance.

The placement of Intacs inserts remodels and reinforces the cornea, eliminating some or all of the irregularities caused by keratoconus. Follow-up visits will be required to monitor the healing process and to evaluate the visual benefits of the procedure. Even after a successful Intacs procedure for keratoconus, glasses or contacts may be required, however Intacs have been shown to improve vision and reduce or stop the progression of keratoconus, thereby saving the patient from needing PKP.

Intacs have been approved for the treatment of keratoconus by the FDA under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) Humanitarian Use Devices (HUDs) are medical devices specially designated by the FDA for use in the treatment of fewer than 4000 patients per year with rare medical conditions.

Corneal crosslinking treatments can be combined with Intacs to flatten the keratoconus cone even more than with Intacs alone. In these cases, corneal crosslinking treatments stabilize keratoconus from getting worse as well as help the Intacs reverse the keratoconus steepening that had already occurred.

A detailed article about Corneal Crosslinking is in Eyeworld.

If you are ready to choose a doctor to be evaluated for conventional or custom wavefront Lasik, All-Laser Lasik, PRK, LASEK, Epi-Lasik, NearVision CK, RLE, or any refractive surgery procedure, we highly recommend you consider a doctor who has been evaluated and certified by the USAEyes nonprofit organization. Locate a USAEyes Evaluated & Certified Lasik Laser Eye Surgery Doctor.

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Effect of complete epithelial debridement before riboflavin-ultraviolet-A corneal collagen crosslinking therapy.

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Effect of complete epithelial debridement before riboflavin-ultraviolet-A corneal collagen crosslinking therapy.

J Cataract Refract Surg. 2008 Apr;34(4):657-61

Authors: Hayes S, O'Brart DP, Lamdin LS, Doutch J, Samaras K, Marshall J, Meek KM

PURPOSE: To evaluate the importance of complete epithelial removal before riboflavin-ultraviolet-A (UVA) corneal collagen crosslinking therapy. SETTING: School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom. METHODS: Riboflavin eyedrops were applied at 5-minute intervals for 35 minutes to the anterior corneal surface of 36 porcine eyes (12 with no epithelial trauma but treated with tetracaine eyedrops, 12 with superficial epithelial trauma but with an intact basal epithelium, and 12 with a fully removed epithelium). The corneal surface of 6 tetracaine-treated eyes, 6 eyes with superficial epithelial trauma, and 6 eyes with a fully removed epithelium was exposed to UVA light for 30 minutes during riboflavin administration. The light transmission spectra of the enucleated corneas were analyzed with a spectrophotometer and compared with those of 9 untreated porcine corneas. RESULTS: Corneas with a fully removed epithelium treated with riboflavin showed an abnormal dip in the transmission spectrum between 400 nm and 510 nm (P<.01). This was attributed to the presence of riboflavin in the corneal stroma. The spectra of riboflavin-treated corneas with no epithelial trauma but tetracaine administration and those with superficial epithelial trauma did not differ from those of the non-riboflavin-treated controls. Exposure to UVA following riboflavin administration did not alter corneal light transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Complete removal of the corneal epithelium is an essential component of riboflavin-UVA crosslinking therapy as superficial epithelial trauma and tetracaine administration alone are not sufficient to permit the penetration of riboflavin into the corneal stroma. Failure to achieve adequate stromal absorption of riboflavin may impair the efficacy of the crosslinking process.

PMID: 18361990 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

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Crosslinking of scleral collagen in the rabbit using glyceraldehyde.

Related Articles

Crosslinking of scleral collagen in the rabbit using glyceraldehyde.

J Cataract Refract Surg. 2008 Apr;34(4):651-6

Authors: Wollensak G, Iomdina E

PURPOSE: To strengthen rabbit sclera in vivo using chemical crosslinking with glyceraldehyde for a scleral-based treatment of progressive myopia. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Martin-Luther-University, Halle, Germany. METHODS: Five chinchilla rabbits were treated with sequential sub-Tenon injections of 0.15 mL 0.5 M glyceraldehyde into the superonasal quadrant of the right eye 5 times during 14 days. The rabbits were humanely killed and biomechanical stress-strain measurements of scleral strips from the treatment area were performed and compared with nontreated contralateral control sclera using a microcomputer-controlled biomaterial tester. The treated eyes were examined histologically by light microscopy to exclude possible adverse effects. RESULTS: Following the crosslinking treatment, the ultimate stress was 15.8 MPa +/- 6.0 (SD) versus 3.1 +/- 0.3 MPa in the controls (increase of 409.7%; P<.02), the Young modulus was 129.6 +/- 53.7 MPa versus 11.5 +/- 1.8 MPa in the controls (increase of 1027%, P<.01), and ultimate strain was 19.8% +/- 2.6% MPA versus 38.2% +/- 5.1% MPA in the controls (decrease of 48.2% P<.05). Histologically, mild side effects were found in the peripheral cornea adjacent to the treatment area, with some inflammatory infiltrate and moderate loss of keratocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Glyceraldehyde crosslinking of scleral collagen increased the scleral biomechanical rigidity efficiently. Glyceraldehyde can be easily applied by sequential parabulbar injections. There were no side effects on the retina, so the new method might become a treatment modality for strengthening scleral tissue to prevent progressive myopia.

PMID: 18361989 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

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Riboflavin-UVA corneal collagen crosslinking as an evolving surgical procedure for progressive ophthalmic tissue diseases.

Related Articles

Riboflavin-UVA corneal collagen crosslinking as an evolving surgical procedure for progressive ophthalmic tissue diseases.

J Cataract Refract Surg. 2008 Apr;34(4):527

Authors: Kohnen T

PMID: 18361955 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

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