BACKGROUND The purpose of this paper is to report the results of using combined treatment of customized excimer laser-assisted photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and prophylactic corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) for residual refractive error in a group of patients who had previously undergone lamellar keratoplasty for keratoconus. METHODS The study included 14 eyes from 14 patients who had ...

Corneal stromal fibrosis characterized by myofibroblasts and abnormal extracellular matrix (ECM) is usually the result of inappropriate wound healing. The present study tested the hypothesis that the ligand activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) δ had antifibrosis effects in a rat model of corneal damage. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats underwent bilateral phototherapeutic ke...

The aim was to assess the results achieved in keratoconic corneas submitted to the combined partial topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy (TG-PRK) and corneal cross linking (CXL) procedure performed on the same day. Four patients underwent this treatment of one eye. Corneal epithelium removal was performed by 50-micron phototherapeutic keratectomy. Then, partial TG-PRK laser treatment w...

Corneal fibrosis is often seen in patients with ocular trauma and infection that compromises corneal transparency resulting in vision loss. Treatment strategies including NSAIDs, steroids, MMC and corneal transplants have shown tremendous success but with several side effects and cellular toxicity. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have been shown to inhibit corneal fibrosis via TGFβ signa...

BACKGROUND While loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic gel 0.5% (LE gel) is approved for treatment of postoperative ocular inflammation and pain, there have been no reported studies in patients undergoing laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). METHODS This was a retrospective chart review conducted at five refractive surgical centers in the USA. Data we...

PURPOSE To investigate whether targeted expression of lumican in the mouse cornea rescued the Lum(-/-) phenotype. METHODS Lum(-/-)/Kera-Lum mice were generated by crossing Lum(-/-) mice with Kera-Lum transgenic mice that overexpressed lumican under the control of the keratocan promoter. Mouse eyes were analyzed in vivo by confocal microscopy through focusing (CMTF) to determine corneal sublay...

With any refractive correction, including Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE), there may be a residual refractive error that requires a retreatment. Here, we investigated the tissue responses following various retreatment procedures in a rabbit model of SMILE. All rabbits underwent a -6.00D correction with SMILE. Two weeks later, they underwent -1.00D enhancement by: (i) VisuMax Circle,...

PURPOSE To quantify changes of plasminogen activator activity in tear fluid during corneal re-epithelialization after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). METHODS Tear samples were collected with glass capillaries from 77 eyes of 42 patients immediately before and immediately after PRK treatment and on postoperative days 3 and 5. In 20 patients, the contralateral eye was similarly...

Cross-linking of corneal collagen (CXL) is a promising approach for the treatment of keratoconus and secondary ectasia. Several long-term and short-term complications of CXL have been studied and documented. The possibility of a secondary infection after the procedure exists because the patient is subjected to epithelial debridement and the application of a soft contact lens. Formation of tempo...

Keratoconus is a condition characterized by biomechanical instability of the cornea, presenting in a progressive, asymmetric and bilateral way. Corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) with riboflavin and Ultraviolet-A (UVA) is a new technique of corneal tissue strengthening that combines the use of riboflavin as a photo sensitizer and UVA irradiation. Studies showed that CXL was effective in haltin...