Abstract
Purpose :
The interest in detecting and treating Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) has increased exponentially over the past several decades. We obtained the first FDA approved interferometer in the U.S. used to diagnose DES by Lacrydiag (Quantel Medical) with its own standardized nomenclature. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence and/or changes of DES after clear corneal cataract surgery.
Methods :
Using the Lacrydiag laser interferometry, 25 patients were examined at intervals of one week prior to, and then at one day, one week and at one month after clear cornea cataract surgery. There were no complications. DES calculations were based on the objective scale nomenclature provided by Lacrydiag, (Quantel Medical):0-4 severe, 4.1 - 7.0 moderate, 7.1 - 10 mild, and 10+ no DES. All measurements were conducted by 3 separate and randomized ophthalmic technicians. None of the patients had any other noted corneal pathologies.
Results :
The results show that the mean and standard deviations of Non-Invasive Tear Break Up Time (NIBUT) and Lipid Layer measurements were calculated for each cornea at the designated time intervals. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) values were calculated using Sopers analysis of variance calculator (Wiley, New York, NY) with p <0.05 for significance. Our results indicate that there was an increased incidence of DES after clear cornea cataract surgery using this new interferometer method.
Conclusions :
In otherwise normal corneal eyes prior to surgery, all corneas examined showed a statistically significant increase in DES up to and including the one month post cataract surgery. More studies need to be conducted, but these findings may have an impact on the selection of the most appropriate treatment for pre and post clear cornea cataract surgeries to maximize the best visual outcomes.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.