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The Athens Protocol: Perform a Partial Topography-Guided Normalization Treatment Separate or Together with Corneal Cross-Linking? Cross-Linking and PRK: Sequential Versus Combined Strategy

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Controversies in the Management of Keratoconus

Abstract

Corneal cross-linking (CXL) has established a new paradigm for the treatment of progressive ectasia and keratoconus [1–3]. The visual rehabilitation of patients who achieve stability after CXL can be challenging if they were intolerant of rigid gas permeable contact lenses or if they had poor vision with glasses and/or soft contact lenses prior to treatment. The problem led my colleagues and me to introduce the topography-guided normalization of corneas that remain highly irregular despite some flattening effect from CXL [4, 5].

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Financial Disclosure

Consultant for Alcon, Avedro, Allergan, i-Optics, Keramed, Zeiss, ISP Surgical.

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At a Glance

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To promote visual rehabilitation, the author and his colleagues introduced the topography-guided normalization of corneas that remain highly irregular despite some flattening effect from corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL).

Sequential treatment involves performing CXL first and topography-guided partial PRK at least 6 months later. In the combined approach, also termed the “Athens protocol,” the two procedures are performed on the same day.

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Kanellopoulos, A.J. (2019). The Athens Protocol: Perform a Partial Topography-Guided Normalization Treatment Separate or Together with Corneal Cross-Linking? Cross-Linking and PRK: Sequential Versus Combined Strategy. In: Barbara, A. (eds) Controversies in the Management of Keratoconus . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98032-4_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98032-4_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98031-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98032-4

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