Corneal crosslinking and visual rehabilitation in keratoconus in one session without epithelial debridement: new technique.

A new surgical technique for the treatment of keratoconus is presented. This technique combines a new corneal crosslinking method with implantation of a flexible full-ring implant into a "closed" corneal pocket via a narrow incision tunnel in 1 surgical session. Riboflavin is not applied in the form of eyedrops onto a corneal surface after epithelial removal but is instilled into the corneal pocket without the need for epithelial debridement. A case of advanced keratoconus treated in this manner is presented. Uncorrected visual acuity increased by 7 lines from 0.05 to 0.25, and the average central K reading decreased by 11 diopters. The haze seen during the early postoperative period diminished in the first month after surgery.