Visual Recovery with Cryopreserved Amniotic Membrane After Epi-Off Corneal Cross-Linking in Keratoconus Patients: A Non-Randomized, Controlled, Retrospective Study
Abstract
Background: This study assessed whether application of cryopreserved amniotic membrane (AM) improves recovery after collagen cross-linking (CXL) using the Dresden protocol in patients with progressive keratoconus.
Methods: This single-centre, retrospective, non-randomized, comparative study included consecutive patients with progressive keratoconus who underwent epi-off CXL followed by bandage contact lens (BCL) or cryopreserved AM (Prokera Slim). Patients were assessed preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Outcomes included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), maximum keratometry (Kmax), complete re-epithelialization, and complications.
Results: A total of 62 eyes (46 patients) were treated with AM after CXL, and 46 eyes (39 patients) received BCL. At 6 months post-op, a significantly greater proportion of eyes in the AM group returned to baseline BCVA versus the BCL group (85.7% vs 64.9%, p max values was comparable between the groups at all time points. The proportion of eyes with a healed epithelial defect at 1 week postoperatively was comparable between the groups (69.6% BCL vs 66.1% AM, p = 0.71). There were three complications (one each of infiltrative keratitis, infectious keratitis, and persistent epithelial defect) in the BCL group and none in the treatment group (p = 0.07).
Conclusion: The use of AM after epi-off CXL resulted in no post-operative complications and improved BCVA six months after surgery compared to a BCL.…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 46 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Synthesis, In Vitro and In Silico Molecular Docking Studies of Novel Phthalimide–Pyrimidine Hybrid Analogues to Thalidomide as Potent Antitubercular Agents
- Exploring the inhibitory performance of expired moxifloxacin and norfloxacin on copper corrosion in saline environment
- Molecular investigation of antimicrobial peptides against Helicobacter pylori proteins using a peptide-protein docking approach
- Screening of novel narrow-spectrum benzofuroxan derivatives for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis through in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches
- Synthesis, Characterization, Anticancer, Antioxidant, and In Silico Evaluation of Semicarbazides and Thiosemicarbazides
- Fast and accurate prediction of drug induced proarrhythmic risk with sex specific cardiac emulators
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.