Articles about Eye Health and Disease 2001
 

Dry Eye After Lasik

(From Battat L et al. Effects of laser in situ keratomileusis on tear production, clearance, and the ocular surface. Ophthalmology 108:1230, 2001)

Lasik is an increasingly common procedure to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses and contact lenses to correct nearsightedness, astigmatism, and farsightedness. Cases of dry eye after Lasik have emerged, and this study looks at the production of tears and the development of dry eye after Lasik.

In the study, 14 men and 34 women were evaluated before and after the Lasik procedure. 1-2 days before the procedure, and then at 6 time points after the procedure, patients completed a questionnaire about any ocular symptoms they were experiencing, and an examination was done to test vision, tear production (Schirmer 1 test), fluorescein dye clearance test, corneal staining with dye, and measurement of corneal sensitivity and regularity.

Results showed that symptom severity scores were worse (increased), and corneal and conjunctival sensitivity scores were decreased at all time points after the Lasik procedure (up to 12 months). Tear production were decreased by 1 month after the procedure, and clearance of tears from around the eye was better prior to the procedure than at all time points after the procedure. Corneal regularity returned to normal by 6 months, and dye staining of the cornea returned to normal at 12 months after the procedure.

The authors concluded that creation of the flap during Lasik resulted in a loss of nerve sensation to the cornea, leading to the disruption in tear dynamics and development of irritation.

 

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