Reducing astigmatism following accelerated transepithelial corneal collagen cross-linking for keratoconus: A prospective study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional and corneal structural outcomes in the young population of keratoconus before and after accelerated transepithelial corneal collagen cross-linking (ATE-CXL) at 9 mW/cm2 for 10 minutes. In this prospective cohort study, ATE-CXL was performed on 36 eyes. The best-corrected visual acuity, spheris, astigmatism, K1, K2, Kmean, central corneal thickness, and intraocular pressure (IOP) were all evaluated. The follow-up time ranged from 2 weeks to 6 months after the procedure. The best-corrected visual acuity results improved significantly from 2 weeks (P <.001), 1.5 months (P <.001), and at 6 months postoperation (P <.001). ATE-CXL significantly reduced the patients' astigmatism after 6 months (P = .03). Following the procedure, there was a modest reduction in the K1, K2, and Kmean in the keratoconus patients. The intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness did not differ significantly at different time points. No postoperative complications were discovered following the procedure. ATE CXL demonstrated an early improvement in the patients' visual acuity and astigmatism in the Indonesian young population, and it was regarded as a safe and efficient keratoconus treatment. Further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm these findings.