At the Bochner Eye Institute we were the first in North America to introduce CXL using Riboflavin drops and epithelial removal in January 2008. Over the past 1.5 years we have treated 495 keratoconus eyes with encouraging clinical results.
The main goal of CXL is to halt the progression of keratoconus and thus prevent the need for a corneal transplant.. At the Bochner Institute patients have ranged from 11 to 60 years of age. The earlier the treatment the better the long-term prognosis. We have not seen a case of progressive ectasia post-CXL. Our minimum corneal thickness has been reduced from 400 um to 300 um with the technique of inducing corneal swelling prior to crosslinking.
Dr Raymond Stein was invited to present clinical results at the annual Canadian Ophthalmological Society meeting in Toronto June 2009. The 12 month results of 30 eyes were reported that were followed with a refraction, pachymetry, and Pentacam analysis. Some patients achieved up to 8 diopters of flattening. Topographic difference maps often showed flattening of steep areas and steepening of flat areas to enhance the overall corneal curvature and improve best-corrected spectacle acuity. Sixty percent of eyes showed improvement of one or more lines of vision.
As in Europe which started CXL 11 years ago the procedure is now being rapidly adopted as the preferred treatment for keratoconus eyes with progressive disease. At the Bochner Eye Institute we are continuing to have patients referred from ophthalmologists and optometrist from as far away as Miami, Dallas, and Los Angeles.
If you would like further information on CXL or an opportunity to view a procedure please contact one of our refractive surgery consultants Ms Kristin Mallon (KMallon@Bochner.com), Mr Peter Schilling (PSchilling@Bochner.com, or Ms Lynn Maund (LMaund@Bochner.com).
The show is broadcast in Canada on the W channel (# 27) on Tuesday at 8:30 pm.