PURPOSE: To compare the changes in corneal curvature, visual acuity and spherical equivalent before and after the implantation of the intrastromal corneal Ferrara ring in contact lens intolerant keratoconus patients. METHODS: The first 400 eyes treated with the Ferrara ring were evaluated according to the alterations obtained in the corneal curvature, visual acuity and refraction after surgery, as well as the stability of the results in the first year. RESULTS: In the 400-studied eyes, there was a mean reduction of 4.18 D in keratometry and 4.65 D in spherical equivalent. The mean uncorrected visual acuity showed the greatest improvement varying from less than 20/400 before to 20/100 after surgery. The mean BSCVA was 20/50 after the surgery. The more advanced keratoconus (III/IV groups) showed the greatest reduction in keratometry. The correction remained stable along the period of the study in all groups. CONCLUSION: The Ferrara ring showed to produce reduction of myopia, regularization of the cornea and consequent corrections of the irregular astigmatism, disappearance of the keratoconic pattern and a significant improvement of the corrected and uncorrected visual acuity.
Keratoconus; Corneal stroma; Visual acuity; Corneal topography; Astigmatism; Prostheses and implants
