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Treating tear film, ocular surface results in better quality vision
ATLANTA — The tear film is the most refractive surface of the eye, a fact that sometimes gets lost in technology, a surgeon said here.
"Paying attention to dry eye will yield dividends and create better quality vision," Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, said at the Refractive Surgery Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
A review of world literature showed that 32% of patients had dry eye before laser surgery and 35% of patients had dry eye after laser surgery. Dr. Donnenfeld said treatments to improve the ocular surface include artificial tears, topical cyclosporine, topical steroids, nutritional supplements, punctal occlusion, and treatment of blepharitis and meibomianitis with lid hyperthermia, oral doxycycline and topical azithromycin.
Dr. Donnenfeld said he has incorporated into his practice the use of preoperative cyclosporine to improve the ocular surface of the eye.
"We need to treat the ocular surface, not just the tear film, but the eyelids as well," he said, "because visual acuity and quality of vision start with the tear film."