Abstract
BackgroundTo assess the effects of warm compress (WC) on tear film lipid layer, blink pattern and Meibomian gland function in patients with dry eye following femtosecond laser small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK).Methods We enrolled 37 eyes of 37 participants, each with dry eye for more than 2 years following SMILE (25 eyes) or LASEK (12 eyes). WC was performed using a spontaneously heating eye mask. Tear film break-up time (TBUT), tear film lipid layer thickness (TFLLT), blink pattern, Meibomian secretory function scores (MGS), visual acuity, spherical equivalent (SE), keratometry, central corneal thickness (CCT) and aberration were assessed before and after WC.ResultsAfter WC, the following mean values all increased relative to baselines: CCT, SE, minimum (Min-), maximum (Max-) and average (Ave-) TFLLT, TBUT, total MGS (TMGS), number of glands secreting any liquid (MGL), and complete blink rate (CBR) (p values ranging from < 0.001 to 0.042). Partial blink frequency (PBF) and partial blink rate (PBR) decreased (p = 0.002 in both cases). The decrease of PBF was higher in SMILE subgroup than in LASEK (p = 0.030). TBUT variation was positively correlated with that of Ave-TFLLT and TMGS (p = 0.046, 0.028, respectively). Max-TFLLT variation was correlated with that of TMGS (p = 0.020).ConclusionsWC may temporarily increase tear film thickness and stability, decrease partial blink, and partly augment Meibomian gland function in dry eye patients after corneal refractive surgeries. Future studies are required to investigate long term clinical efficacy and safety.
Highlights
To assess the effects of warm compress (WC) on tear film lipid layer, blink pattern and Meibomian gland function in patients with dry eye following femtosecond laser small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK)
Laserassisted subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) is a surface ablation procedure, which creates an epithelial flap only on the cornea. As both SMILE and LASEK avoid stromal flap creation, fewer corneal nerve fibers are severed, with concomitantly faster regeneration of the corneal nerves and recovery of corneal sensation relative to traditional laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or femtosecond laser assisted LASIK (FS-LASIK) [3,4,5]
Before WC, there was no difference in all indicators between surgeries
Summary
To assess the effects of warm compress (WC) on tear film lipid layer, blink pattern and Meibomian gland function in patients with dry eye following femtosecond laser small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK). A refractive stromal lenticule is created using a femtosecond laser and extracted through a small peripheral incision, modifying the corneal shape and correcting refractive errors [2]. Laserassisted subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) is a surface ablation procedure, which creates an epithelial flap only on the cornea. As both SMILE and LASEK avoid stromal flap creation, fewer corneal nerve fibers are severed, with concomitantly faster regeneration of the corneal nerves and recovery of corneal sensation relative to traditional laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or femtosecond laser assisted LASIK (FS-LASIK) [3,4,5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
