Corneal Cross Linking (KXL)

Corneal Cross Linking (KXL) has the potential to stop the progression of keratoconus. This treatment is recommended for individuals with progressive keratoconus or corneal thinning (ectasia) following a LASIK or PRK procedure to stabilize the cornea. It can be performed with our without Intacs®, PTK or PRK surgery. It is not intended to improve sight, but to therapeutically stop the progressive thinning of the eye in these ectasia cases. It tends to flatten the corneal shape somewhat but this varies from case to case.

This non-invasive treatment (corneal collagen cross-linking with riboflavin) has been proven to strengthen the weak corneal structure in keratoconus. This treatment is responsible for preventing the cornea from bulging out and becoming steep and irregular.

During the 30-minute, in-office treatment, custom-made riboflavin eye drops are applied to the cornea. Once they have penetrated the cornea sufficiently, a special light then activates it. This is the process that has been shown in laboratory and clinical studies to strengthen the cornea and increase the amount of collagen cross-linking. In published studies, such treatments were proven safe and effective.

KXL and Intacs® combined
Corneal Cross Linking treatments can also be combined with Intacs® to further flatten the keratoconus cone even more than with Intacs alone. In these cases, Corneal Cross Linking treatments stabilize keratoconus as well as help the Intacs® partially reverse the keratoconus that had already occurred up to the time of the treatment. This often can improve one’s best-corrected vision dramatically.

KXL and Intacs® and PTK combined
This combined treatment can dramatically improve one’s best-able vision in certain situations. Instead of PTK, some doctors are now using topographically-guided PRK with spectacular successes.