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The role of topical vitamin A in promoting healing in surface refractive procedures: a prospective randomized controlled study

Session Details

Session Title: Refractive

Session Date/Time: Sunday 16/02/2014 | 08:30-11:00

Paper Time: 08:30

Venue: Kosovel Hall (Level -2)

First Author: : EliasChelala LEBANON

Co Author(s): :    Ali Dirani   Ali Fadlallah   Sharbel Fahed        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To evaluate the effect of topical vitamin A supplementation on corneal re-epithelialization time, postoperative pain, visual acuity, and haze following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

Setting:

Hotel Dieu de France, Saint-Joseph university, Beirut, Lebanon

Methods:

This prospective study included 32 patients. For each patient, one eye was randomized to the vitamin A group and the fellow eye to the non-vitamin A group (control group). Eyes in the vitamin A group received perioperative topical vitamin A (retinol palmitate, 250 IU/g VitAPOS eye ointment [AFT Pharmaceuticals Pty, Ltd, Sydney, NSW, Australia]) in addition to the classic treatment for PRK. Clinical outcomes were evaluated up to 3 months after PRK.

Results:

There was no difference in the mean time to complete healing between the vitamin A group and the control group (3.36 ±0.6 days in the control group; 3.42 ±0.7 days in the vitamin A group; P = 0.854). Mean postoperative pain at the 48-hour visit was 4.35 ±1.42 over 10 in the control group, and 4.42 ±1.37 over 10 in the vitamin A group, with no difference between the two groups (P = 0.589). Subepithelial haze evaluated at 3 months postoperatively did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.960). Also, visual and refractive outcomes were not dif¬ferent between the two groups 3 months postoperatively.

Conclusions:

Topical vitamin A supplementation did not affect re-epithelialization time, postoperative pain, corneal haze formation, or visual outcomes after PRK. FINANCIAL INTEREST: NONE