AIM:Toevaluatetheefficacyandsafetyofcornealcollagencrosslinking(CXL)topreventtheprogressionofpost-laserinsitukeratomileusis(LASIK)cornealectasia.·METHODS:Inaprospective,nonrandomized,single-centrestudy,CXLwasperformedin20eyesof11patientswhohadLASIKformyopicastigmatismandsubsequentlydevelopedkeratectasia.Theprocedureincludedinstillationof0.1%riboflavin-20%dextranesolution30minutesbeforeUVAirradiationandevery5minutesforanadditional30minutesduringirradiation.Theeyeswereevaluatedpreoperativelyandat1-,3-,6-,and12-monthintervals.Thecompleteophthalmologicexaminationcompriseduncorrectedvisualacuity,bestspectacle-correctedvisualacuity,endothelialcellcount,ultrasoundpachymetry,cornealtopography,andinvivoconfocalmicroscopy.·RESULTS:CXLappearedtostabiliseorpartiallyreversetheprogressionofpost-LASIKcornealectasiawithoutapparentcomplicationinourcohort.UCVAandBCVAimprovementswerestatisticallysignificant(P<0.05)beyond12monthsaftersurgery(improvementof0.07and0.13logMARat1year,respectively).Meanbaselineflattestmeridiankeratometryandmeansteepestmeridiankeratometryreduction(improvementof2.00and1.50diopters(D),respectively)werestatisticallysignificant(P<0.05)at12monthspostoperatively.At1yearafterCXL,meanendothelialcellcountdidnotdeteriorate.Meanthinnestcorneapachymetryincreasedsignificantly.·CONCLUSION:Theresultsofthestudyshowedalong-termstabilityofpost-LASIKcornealectasiaaftercrosslinkingwithoutrelevantsideeffects.Itseemstobeasafeandpromisingproceduretostoptheprogressionofpost-LASIKkeratectasia,therebyavoidingordelayingkeratoplasty.
