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Preservative-free eye drops improve dry eye symptoms after cataract surgery
Eye drops without preservatives were found to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the tears of patients with preexisting dry eye syndrome after cataract surgery in a study recently published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Jee and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled study of 80 patients with cataract and dry eye syndrome.
Following cataract surgery, the patients were divided into two groups; 40 patients were treated with gatifloxacin 0.3%, preservative-free sodium hyaluronate 0.1% eye drops and preservative-free fluorometholone 0.1% eye drops and the other 40 patients were treated with gatifloxacin 0.3%, preserved sodium hyaluronate 0.1% eye drops, and preserved fluorometholone 0.1% eye drops. Both groups were instructed to use the drops four times a day in the first month and twice a day in the second month.
Researchers assessed antioxidant and inflammatory cytokine activities in tears, corneal fluorescein staining, impression cytology, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score, Schirmer I test and tear-film breakup time (TBUT).
"This study demonstrated that anti-inflammatory cytokines were decreased and antioxidants were increased in the tears of patients with preexisting dry eye syndrome after cataract surgery after treatment with preservative-free steroid and lubricant eye drops compared with preserved eye drops," the authors stated. "Several reports have shown that preservative-free eye drops decrease ocular surface inflammation and oxidative damage. Therefore, we think the increase in antioxidants and decrease in the inflammatory response might be an indirect effect of preservative-free eye drops, which improve the ocular surface."
They concluded: "Treatment with preservative-free sodium hyaluronate 0.1% and fluorometholone 0.1% eye drops can improve the OSDI score, TBUT, Schirmer I score, corneal staining and impression cytological findings compared with treatment with preserved eye drops in patients with preexisting dry eye syndrome after cataract surgery. Preservative-free sodium hyaluronate 0.1% and fluorometholone 0.1% eye drops seem to be more effective in decreasing the ocular inflammation and in increasing the antioxidant contents in tears of patients with preexisting dry eye syndrome after cataract surgery. "
Disclosure: The authors have no financial disclosures.