LONG-TERM RESULTS OF DIFFERENT UV-CROSSLINKING TECHNIQUES IN PATIENTS WITH PROGRESSIVE KERATOCONUS

Purpose. To compare a clinical effectiveness of different UV-crosslinking techniques in patients with progressive keratoconus.Material and methods. Randomized prospective clinical trial included 130 eyes of 117 keratoconic patients. There were created 2 equal groups of 65 eyes. In the group I patients underwent a classical UV-crosslinking technique with a complete central corneal deepithelialization, in the group II a UV-crosslinking with dosed corneal epithelium scarification was performed using a new device. The postoperative follow-up period was 24 months. Preoperatively in the group I the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was 0.21±0.11, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.49±0.14, the central corneal pachymetry (CCP) – 469.1±23/4μm, the mean keratometry (Kave) – 46.1±1.7D, in the group II: UCVA was 0.22±0.09, BCVA – 0.48±0.12, CCP – 475.2±28.5μm, Кave – 46.7±1.4D.Results. The mean postoperative pain score was 6.9±1.3, relief on the 3-rd ±1.2 day post-op. in the group I, and 2.8±1.1 relief on the 1-st±0.4 day post-op. in the group II. All patients had a 0.1 to 0.12 visual acuity loss 7 days after the surgery that was due to a mild corneal opacification. At 3 months after operation in both groups the UCVA and the BCVA were back to their preoperative values. In the group I the UCVA increased by 0.07±0.03 (р