Posters

The impact of the dry eye indicator tear break up time upon quality of vision after SMILE surgery

Poster Details

First Author: J.Moore UK

Co Author(s):    R. McNeely                    

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To determine the impact of reduced fluorescein tear film break-up time (FTBUT) upon the safety and efficacy of small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery.

Setting:

Cathedral Eye Clinic, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

Methods:

This retrospective study included 59 consecutive patients (118 eyes) undergoing bilateral SMILE. The cohort was further subdivided into a preoperative short FTBUT group (≤ 6 s) and a long FTBUT group ( 8 s), comprising 46 and 51 eyes respectively. All eyes with a preoperative FTBUT of 7s, thus reflecting the mean FTBUT of all patients, were excluded. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), manifest refraction and FTBUT as well as quality of vision (QOV) and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaires were recorded at 1 and 6 months postoperatively.

Results:

There was a significant difference between both groups for QOV for night and day at 1 and 6 month, with comparable postoperative UDVA but a small difference in refractive error. FTBUT and OSDI remained significantly lower for the whole observation period for the low FTBUT group.

Conclusions:

Low preoperative FTBUT (≤ 6 s) is significantly associated with a lower QOV after SMILE compared to long FTBUT ( 8 s) despite comparable good refractive and visual acuity safety and efficacy. This again highlights the importance of additional evaluation of subjective QOV using standardised patient-reported outcome measures (PROs).

Financial Disclosure:

None