Comparative outcomes of tear osmolarity and other dry eye tests after LASIK vs photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)

Session Details

Session Title: Photoablation Outcomes I

Session Date/Time: Monday 07/09/2015 | 16:30-18:30

Paper Time: 17:57

Venue: Room 17

First Author: : V.Charoenrook SPAIN

Co Author(s): :    P. Sauvageot   J. Alvarez de Toledo                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To compare the impact of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) on tear osmolarity and other dry eye tests.

Setting:

Centro de Oftalmología Barraquer, Barcelona, Spain

Methods:

A prospective and comparative study was done where 56 eyes of 56 myopic patients who underwent LASIK or PRK surgery and fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in 2 matched groups. Dry eye tests were evaluated before the surgery and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, and included tear osmolarity, ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, Schirmer I test with and without anesthesia, corneal esthesiometry, tear break up time (TBUT) and corneal staining.

Results:

No significant difference in dry eye tests between the 2 groups was observed at any point. Only corneal sensibility was significantly decreased in LASIK group compared to PRK group after 3 months (U=270; P=0,043). Corneal sensibility was significantly reduced after 3 months compared to preoperative values in both groups but recovered to statistically similar to preoperative values after 6 (PRK group) and 12 months (LASIK group). Tear osmolarity values were comparable to preoperative values after 3 months but significantly increased in both groups after 6 (LASIK group, P=0,04; PRK group, P=0,006) and 12 months (LASIK group, P=0,005; PRK group, P=0,004).

Conclusions:

There was no significant difference in tear osmolarity and other dry eye tests between LASIK and PRK at any point of the follow-up except for corneal sensitivity which was significantly lower in the LASIK group than in the PRK group at 3 months postoperatively. Tear osmolarity significantly increased in both groups at 6 months after surgery compared to preoperative values, and remained statistically higher one year postoperatively. A longer follow-up will be necessary to assess whether tear osmolarity recovers its preoperative values after corneal refractive surgery.

Financial Interest:

NONE