Clinical Ophthalmology (Jul 2023)
Patient-Reported Dry Eye Outcomes After Myopic Femtosecond-LASIK: A 6-Month Prospective Analysis
Abstract
Sloan Rush,1,2 Cory J Pickett,1 Ryan B Rush2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Rush Eye Associates, Amarillo, TX, USA; 2Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX, USACorrespondence: Ryan B Rush, Chosen Eye Mission, 8201 Valcour Dr, Amarillo, TX, 79119, USA, Tel +1-806-353-0125, Email [email protected]: To evaluate patient-reported outcomes in relation to dry eye symptoms following femtosecond LASIK (FS-LASIK).Methods: This study was conducted as a prospective, observational case series of patients undergoing bilateral myopic FS-LASIK at a single private practice institution. Enrolled patients were prospectively administered a standardized Dry Eye Symptom Index survey (analog score of 1 to 5 with 5 being the worst) prior to treatment and at 6-months after FS-LASIK. The following objective measurements were also recorded: objective scatter index (OSI), tear film osmolarity (TFO), and automated tear break-up times (TBUT).Results: There were 40 enrolled patients who underwent bilateral myopic FS-LASIK and completed the 6-month study period. The Dry Eye Symptom Index score improved from 2.3 (2.0– 2.6, 95% Confidence Intervals) prior to treatment to 1.3 (1.0– 1.5) at 6 months (p 0.05 for all), and there were no adverse events or complications during the study period.Conclusion: Patient-reported dry eye symptoms improve after 6 months following myopic FS-LASIK. This did not correlate with the objective dry eye measurement changes at 6 months.Keywords: LASIK, tear film osmolarity, tear break-up time, patient-reported outcomes, dry eye
