This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Thermal pulsation may improve dry eye after laser correction
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Thermal pulsation therapy may significantly improve dry eye symptoms and may improve objective clinical parameters of tear break-up time, meibomian gland dysfunction and corneal staining, according to researchers.
In this study, 109 eyes of 57 patients underwent thermal pulsation therapy (LipiFlow, TearScience) for the treatment of dry eye symptoms after laser vision correction.
The Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) II was administered to all patients before and after thermal pulsation therapy.
The mean patient age was 49 years, 70% of the patients were female.
Those selected for inclusion had the most intractably symptomatic dry eye in a large refractive surgery practice and were offered only thermal pulsation therapy as auxiliary treatment after failing all conventional methods, the researchers wrote.
The mean pre-therapy SPEED II questionnaire score was 17.5, with a reduced mean post-therapy score of 10.2.
Researchers found that PRK patients tended to report more improvement.
Treated eyes showed significant improvement over baseline on follow-up questionnaire at 1 month, with benefits of a single treatment persisting on secondary follow-up questionnaire approximately 6 to 8 months after treatment, according to researchers.
As far as secondary outcomes, patients with PRK may experience an increased benefit early after thermal pulsation therapy compared to LASIK; however, it does not seem to persist at 6 months, according to researchers.
Also, patients with more profound staining patterns may be low responders to treatment.
According to the initial retrospective evaluation, this treatment modality may be useful for managing dry eye symptoms after laser vision correction, but further study is needed, the researchers wrote. –by Abigail Sutton
Disclosure: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts