Effect of a One-Week Lubricant Pretreatment on Post-LASIK Dry Eye: Single-Center Randomized, Single-Masked Study With...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery
• Ocular Surface Disease

Background:

• Femto-LASIK is a common procedure for myopia correction.
• Ocular discomfort and tear film changes are potential side effects.
• Topical lubricants are often used to manage these symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of topical lubricants initiated preoperatively versus postoperatively in myopic patients undergoing Femto-LASIK.
• To evaluate differences in ocular discomfort and objective tear film parameters (osmolarity, NIKBUT) at one month post-surgery.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, single-masked, randomized comparative study.
• Inclusion of 44 myopic patients (22 per group) undergoing Femto-LASIK.
• Assessment of refractive error, visual acuity, tear osmolarity, OSDI, and keratograph analysis preoperatively and at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively.

Main Results:

• Femto-LASIK significantly increased OSDI scores at one month post-surgery (p < 0.0001).
• No statistically significant differences were observed in OSDI scores, NIKBUT, or osmolarity between the preoperative and postoperative lubricant groups at one month.
• Mean age and preoperative refractive error were comparable between groups.

Conclusions:

• Initiating hyaluronate-HP-guar one week before Femto-LASIK did not offer significant advantages over postoperative use for managing ocular discomfort or tear film parameters.
• Femto-LASIK surgery can lead to increased ocular discomfort symptoms at one month.
• Further research with longer follow-up periods is warranted to fully understand the long-term effects.