Risk Factors for Dry Eye After Refractive Surgery

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Surgery
• Dry Eye Disease

Background:

• Dry eye disease is a common complication following refractive surgery.
• Identifying pre-operative risk factors is essential for patient counseling and surgical planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify demographic and preoperative factors associated with the development of clinically significant dry eye disease after myopic keratorefractive surgery.
• To analyze the impact of specific surgical parameters on postoperative dry eye incidence.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of a large cohort (25,317 eyes) undergoing myopic laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) between 2008 and 2016.
• Patients were categorized into two groups: those who developed clinically significant dry eye and those who did not.
• Multivariable logistic regression was employed to determine independent risk factors for postoperative dry eye.

Main Results:

• Postoperative dry eye occurred in 6.0% of patients.
• Significant associations with dry eye included older age (OR 1.013), female gender (OR 0.87), lower preoperative refractive error (OR 1.05), and undergoing LASIK (OR 0.67).
• Higher proportion of women, older age, lower preoperative spherical equivalent, and reduced best-corrected visual acuity were observed in the dry eye group.

Conclusions:

• Older age, female gender, lower preoperative refractive error, and LASIK are significant risk factors for developing dry eye disease post-keratorefractive surgery.
• These findings aid in identifying at-risk individuals and optimizing surgical outcomes.
• Further research may explore preventative strategies for high-risk patients.