2-Years Efficacy Of All Surface Laser Ablation With Cross-Linking (Asla-Xtra) For The Treatment Of Myopic Astigmatism

The purpose of this study is to examine the 24 months results of the All Surface Laser Ablation (ASLA) combined with accelerated cross-linking (CXL) for the treatment of myopic astigmatism, in cases with high cylinder (≥-1.50 D) without the use of mitomycin-C (MMC).

Emmetropia Eye Institute, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

This retrospective study consisted of 44 eyes of 38 patients (16 males, 18 females) with myopic astigmatism (SD: 2.56, range: − 2.50 to − 12.75 D) patients (12 males, 21 females). Mean age was 27.58 years (SD: 6.25, range: 19 to 43 years) that underwent ASLA with accelerated CXL (30mW x 90”=2.7 J/cm²) for the treatment of their refractive error.

The patients underwent routine postoperative assessment on the 1^st, 3^rd, 7^th day and in the 1st, 3^rd, 6^th, 12^th, 18^th and 24^th month. The mean spherical equivalent (SEq) refractive error changed from − 6.88 ± 2.56 D preoperatively to − 0.07 ± 0.51 D at 2 years postoperatively. The haze score was 0.17, 0.23 and 0.26 at 1, 3 and 6 months postoperatively. 12 months onwards after the treatment, no eyes had significant corneal haze and in all the following postoperative time intervals the haze traces were gone.

ASLA combined with accelerated CXL (ASLA-XTRA) appears to be safe, efficacious and offering good refractive results in patients with high astigmatism. The accelerated CXL seems to have stabilizing effect regarding the refraction while preventing the appearance of haze postoperatively without the use of MMC.