A recent study investigated the effect of artificial tear treatment on keratometry variability and refractive precision in patients with dry eye disease undergoing cataract surgery.
This prospective randomized controlled trial included 131 subjects, with 43 in the untreated dry eye disease (DED) group (A1), 46 in the treated DED group (A2), and 42 in the non-DED control group (B). Subjects with DED, diagnosed according to DEWS II criteria, were randomized to either no treatment (A1) or treatment with artificial tears for two weeks before cataract surgery (A2). All subjects underwent keratometry measurements using three different optical biometers: an optical low coherence reflectometry (OLCR) device (Lenstar 900), a combined reflection-based and swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) device (Eyestar 900), and an SS-OCT device (Anterion).
Published in Clinical Ophthalmology, the study found no statistically significant differences in the mean variability of keratometry or percentages of outliers for the treated DED group (A2) from baseline to the time of cataract surgery. Additionally, there was no significant difference in refractive precision, as measured by mean absolute error (MAE) and astigmatism prediction error (APE), between the groups. The MAE was 0.3 ± 0.24 D, 0.29 ± 0.24 D, and 0.31 ± 0.27 D for groups A1, A2, and B, respectively, while the APE was 0.39 ± 0.27 D, 0.47 ± 0.3 D, and 0.32 ± 0.21 D for the respective groups.
Researchers also assessed the percentages of cases within four diopter ranges (≤ 0.25 D, 0.26 to ≤ 0.50 D, 0.51 D to ≤ 0.75 D, and ≥ 0.75 D) for both MAE and APE, finding no statistically significant differences between the groups. The authors noted that their study was limited to a two-week treatment period and that a longer duration of artificial tear treatment may have a more significant effect on keratometry measurements.
Results indicated that a two-week course of artificial tears did not significantly affect keratometry variability or refractive precision in DED patients undergoing cataract surgery. The investigators suggested that more advanced DED treatments, as outlined in the DEWS II algorithm, may be necessary to stabilize the tear film and improve outcomes in this patient population.
Disclosures can be found in the study.