CXL + T-PRK
Advantage of combining CXL with T-PRK
Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking with Riboflavin (CXL) is a proven treatment, which effectively halts the progression of keratoconus. While CXL is effective on its own, results have shown that enhanced visual outcomes can be achieved when combining CXL with a Topography-guided PRK treatment (T-PRK). Topography-guided PRK is an advanced technology that allows surgeons to view a highly-detailed map of the eye, providing a guide for extremely precise treatment. This advanced laser treatment can only be performed in facilities possessing the Wavelight Allegretto Eye-Q laser platform with TCAT software. LASIK MD is among the few centres in Canada to possess this technology.
CXL combined with T-PRK will not eliminate all visual impediments caused by keratoconus. The goal is rather to make irregular corneas more regular, strengthen the cornea, and improve the quality of vision. Even if glasses and contact lenses might still be required to correct vision, results have been shown to significantly improve overall uncorrected and best corrected visual acuity.
How T-PRK differs from standard laser eye technology
Excimer lasers have been used to safely correct common refractive errors like myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism for over 20 years. As diagnostic imaging technology has improved, our ability to measure other optical aberrations has allowed us to consider a wider range of factors that contribute to distorted vision.
Using imaging derived from highly sophisticated tomography, topography and wavefront aberrometry equipment; T-PRK ablates and flattens the imperfections of keratoconic corneas, and treats the higher order aberrations, smoothing them out prior to the CXL portion of the treatment. Treating these irregularities assists in reducing the level of distorted vision attributed to keratoconus. Since CXL alone can only provide a mild flattening of the cornea, the addition of a specialized laser treatment improves vision and can improve the suitability of corrective lenses that could not be achieved previously.
LASIK MD's Montreal Protocol
The team of surgeons at LASIK MD has developed an innovative approach to performing CXL with T-PRK. Based on the Athens Protocol, whereby the CXL and T-PRK portions of the treatment are performed in the same session, the LASIK MD group has developed a refined algorithm using outcome data acquired from more than a dozen LASIK MD centres across Canada. The group discovered that using both tomography and topography data to treat the astigmatic portion of the prescription led to superior results. Now called the Montreal Protocol, this modified approach has led to significant improvements in visual outcomes.
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