USE OF CROSSLINKING IN THE TREATMENT OF KERATOCONUS

Abstract

Keratoconus is a disease that affects the cornea, leading to a progressive and bilateral decrease in visual acuity, leading to a thinning and curving of the cornea, generating a cone shape. Crosslinking is a surgical method with the use of riboflavin-UVA that acts by causing a stiffening of the collagen fibers of the cornea, reducing its structural change and delaying the progression of the disease. This research aims to describe the use of crosslinking in keratoconus, describe how the technique is performed, demonstrate its effectiveness and what impacts it has on the progression of the disease. This research has a deductive method used, being of a basic nature with an exploratory and explanatory objective with a quali-quanti approach. Data collection was carried out through online searches in the databases Scientific Library Online (SCIELO), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences Information (LILACS), Medline (PUBMED). Controlled and randomized studies on the treatment of keratoconus using crosslinking showed its effectiveness, as patients undergoing this procedure showed an improvement in visual acuity, transient thinning of the cornea and improvements in topographic parameters in the short and long term. Conclusion: Therefore, we conclude that crosslinking is an effective surgical technique for the treatment of keratoconus, proven through various research and studies on corneal diseases associated with keratoconus, so it would be of paramount importance to facilitate access to the entire population in general, especially the poorest population. the government should invest more in resources in order to reach more people, generating a decrease in the queues for corneal transplants, improving the quality of life of these affected patients.