Femtosecond assisted intrastromal corneal ring (ISCR) implantation for the treatment of corneal ectasia.

PURPOSE To assess the outcomes of intrastromal corneal ring (ISCR) implantation for the treatment of corneal ectasia. METHODS Thirty-five consecutive patients with secondary corneal ectasia treated with keraring intrastromal corneal ring segment implantation aided by intralaser femtosecond technique (K-ICRS-FS) were evaluated. Visual acuity (logMAR), refraction and astigmatism vector analysis were measured preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively using vector analysis as described by some authors. RESULTS Visual acuity improved from 0.40 ± 0.20 to 0.25 ± 0.13 logMAR (p=0.0002), with reduction of the spherical equivalent from -5.41 ± 4.78 D to -2.83 ± 3.29 D (P=0.0002). Mean astigmatism reduction was 3.92 ± 2.52 D. K maximum decreased from 51.65 ± 5.83 D preoperatively to 48.58 ± 5.54 D (p=0.001) 3 months after the surgery and K minimum decreased from 45.92 ± 4.64 D to 43.96 ± 5.06 D (p=0.0041). There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. CONCLUSION Intrastromal corneal ring implantation with the use of a femtosecond laser was a safe procedure, with low risk of complications and significant improvement on visual acuity and topographic data in this seeting of patients with secondary corneal ectasia.