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Study: Postop dry eye similar with femtosecond, microkeratome LASIK
Femtosecond laser and microkeratome-assisted LASIK procedures were found to result in comparable postoperative dry eye and corneal sensitivity, according to a recent study.
The study was prospective and nonrandomized and included 87 consecutive patients with myopia. The study population, matched for age and sex, underwent LASIK surgery with either a femtosecond laser (n = 44) or a microkeratome (n = 43). Corneal sensitivity, Schirmer’s testing, tear break up-time (TBUT), conjunctival and corneal staining and a subjective questionnaire (OSDI) were the primary outcome measures measured preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months postoperatively.
Preoperative spherical equivalent and sphere, calculated ablation depth and suction time differed significantly between the two groups (P < .01, all comparisons). All postoperative values, including corneal sensitivity, Schirmer values, LASIK-induced corneal epitheliopathy, corneal and conjunctival staining scores and OSDI scores, were comparable between the two groups.
However, there was a significantly higher TBUT in the femtosecond-assisted group than the microkeratome group, after adjusting for the calculated ablation depth.