title: Intracorneal continuous ring implantation for keratoconus: One-year follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate intracorneal continuous ring (ICCR) implantation for the treatment of keratoconus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eye specialist centers, Europe and Middle East.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study assessed the results of implantation of a MyoRing ICCR in 15 eyes with keratoconus. Outcome measures included uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) (spectacle correction), refraction, complications, and side effects. Postoperative follow-up was up to 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study evaluated 15 eyes of 11 patients (8 men, 3 women) with a mean age of 35 years +/- 12 (SD) (range 22 to 60 years). Preoperatively, the mean central corneal thickness was 435 +/- 41 mum (range from 350 to 485 mum) and the mean keratometry (K) readings, 48.96 +/- 3.4 diopters (D) (range 43.75 to 56.62 D). Postoperatively, there was a statistically significant improvement in the UDVA, CDVA, K readings, manifest spherical and cylindrical refractive errors, and spherical equivalent (P<.05). The mean UDVA improved by almost 10 lines, from 0.07 (1.24 +/- 0.35 logMAR) to 0.56 (0.27 +/- 0.17 logMAR), and the mean CDVA improved by almost 3 lines, from 0.42 (0.40 +/- 0.17 logMAR) to 0.77 (0.12 +/- 0.10 logMAR). The mean K reading decreased by 5.76 D, from 48.96 D to 43.20 D. No serious intraoperative complications occurred. Side effects included glare and night-vision problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of keratoconus with ICCR implantation significantly improved visual function. The nomogram requires grading the disease using the K readings only. The UDVA and CDVA also improved during the first postoperative year.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Drs. Mahmoud and Venkateswaran have no financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Additional disclosure is found in the footnotes.
authors.affiliation: Eye Center, Linz-Ybbs, Austria. daxer@gutsehen.at
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daxer
authors.forename: Haifa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.forename: Rengaswamy Srinivasan
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Venkateswaran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000601:surgery*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049451:Nomograms; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult