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Ophthalmic inserts shown to improve dry eye symptoms, quality of life
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A hydroxypropyl cellulose ophthalmic insert was shown to effectively treat dry eye symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients suffering from moderate to severe dry eye, according to a presenter here.
Bruce H. Koffler, MD, presented results of a study of 418 dry eye patients who were given the Lacrisert implant (Aton Pharma) in a poster at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.
After an initial general dry eye screening, patients also filled out the Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire to measure quality of life. Patients were then trained on inserting the device and contacted by phone at day 3 for follow-up and reinstruction.
"Patient education is very important," Dr. Koffler told Ocular Surgery News. "It's about a 10-minute training session, very similar to contact lens application instruction."
According to Dr. Koffler's study, after 1 month of treatment with Lacrisert, patients experienced a significant reduction of dry eye symptoms with fewer occurrence of symptoms, which led to less difficulty performing daily functions and reduced discomfort in situations that exacerbate symptoms, such as driving at night. Other objective measures, such as tear film breakup time and Schirmer's tests, showed an improvement in symptoms as well.
"We had about 42% patient compliance, which is very good, and there was only one adverse event," Dr. Koffler said in the interview. Of those who missed doses, 69.4% missed one to five treatments.
Overall, patients reported a 21.3% improvement in OSDI score, according to the poster.