Rates of infectious keratitis and other ocular surface adverse events in corneal cross-linking for keratoconus and corneal ectasias performed in an office-based setting: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to compare the complication rates of epithelium-off corneal cross-linking (epi-off CXL) performed in an office-based setting with those of epi-off CXL performed in an operating room.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study, comprising 501 consecutive epi-off CXL procedures, performed in a non-sterile procedure room without laminar flow ventilation at the ELZA Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, between November 2015 and October 2021, was conducted.

RESULTS

No cases of postoperative infectious keratitis were observed, while sterile infiltrates occurred in 10 out of 501 (2.00%) patients, all of whom responded well to topical steroid therapy. Delayed epithelialization (> 7 days) occurred in 14 out of 501 (2.79%) patients. No other adverse events were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

Office-based epi-off CXL does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of complications when compared to operating room settings.