Intraoperative and postoperative corneal thickness change after collagen crosslinking therapy.

PURPOSE: To assess intraoperative and postoperative changes in corneal thickness subsequent to riboflavin-UVA (collagen crosslinking [CXL]) treatment.

METHODS

Forty-one eyes of 41 patients (mean age 27.97 ± 6.97 years) were treated with CXL technique. During treatment, isotonic riboflavin was instilled and corneal thickness measurements were obtained at the cornea apex, the thinnest point, and the pupil center at 15 and 30 minutes, then 3 days, 1 week, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery using Pentacam HR and an ultrasound pachymeter.

RESULTS

A decrease in corneal thickness was detected 15 minutes intraoperatively with a value of 108.95 ± 48.6 µm, and 112.35 ± 47.3 µm at 30 minutes (p<0.001). Three days after the operation, no deviation was found from the initial values (p = 0.17). No further changes were detected during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

Isotonic riboflavin solution used during CXL treatment resulted in a significant decrease in corneal thickness, but its effect had disappeared by postoperative day 3.