| Title |
|---|
| Breaking Through Visual Bottlenecks in Keratoconus: Clinical Verification of Combined Surgery Based on the "Strengthening First, Then Correction" Concept |
| Authors |
|---|
| Mingyang Hu |
| Presenting |
|---|
| Mingyang Hu |
| PURPOSE: |
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| Traditional corrective methods offer limited visual improvement for patients with moderate-to-advanced keratoconus, while corneal laser surgery carries higher risks due to corneal thinning and ectasia. Therefore, this study aims to explore the efficacy and safety of TICL combined with CXL in keratoconus patients. |
| METHODS: |
|---|
| Male, 22, with progressive bilateral vision loss for 14 years. OD: clinical stage keratoconus; OS: early stage. A two-step "strengthen first, then correct" strategy was adopted: CXL was performed on the more severe right eye. One month postoperatively, once corneal status stabilized, custom TICLs were implanted in both eyes to correct high myopia and astigmatism. |
| RESULTS: |
|---|
| At the 1-day postoperative follow-up, the patient’s uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) in both eyes significantly improved from 0.1 preoperatively to 1.0-1.2, with normal intraocular pressure, well-positioned TICL, and safe vault height. Recent follow-up results showed that the patient’s visual acuity has been significantly enhanced, effectively improving corneal stability and halting the further progression of keratoconus. |
| CONCLUSIONS: |
|---|
| This case demonstrates that the "two-step" strategy of CXL combined with TICL delivers excellent outcomes for refractive correction in eligible keratoconus patients. It not only controls disease progression but also restores patients' visual function. This provides valuable experience and strong evidence support for the clinical management of this complex keratoconus condition. |