What is collagen cross-linking?
A new treatment for keratoconus which has shown great success is Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin (C3-R*), a one-time application of riboflavin eye drops to the eye. The riboflavin, when activated by approximately 30 minutes illumination with UV-A light, augments the collagen cross-links within the stroma and so recovers some of the cornea’s mechanical strength. C3-R*, developed at the Technische Universitt Dresden, Germany has been shown to slow or arrest the progression of keratoconus, and in some cases even reverse it, particularly when applied in combination with intracorneal ring segments. How is the treatment done? The treatment is performed in our operation theatre under complete sterile conditions. Usually, only one eye is treated in one sitting. The treatment is performed under topical anesthesia (using anesthetic eye drops). The surface of the eye (cornea) is treated with application of Riboflavin eye drops for 30 minutes. The eye is then exposed to UVA light for
