Study: Dry eye characteristics of LASIK candidates in Russia

So this study looked at dry eye in people getting evaluated for potential LASIK. I found many things about this interesting, including:

  • They classified dry eye both on the basis of OSDI and on DEWS classification.

  • 36% had signs of tear deficiency… and the average age was 30 years old.

  • Symptom based dry eye assessment was much higher than clinical sign-based

  • Only half of the patients whose dry eye warranted treatment were getting treatment

Most of all… I wonder how many of the folks with dry eye ended up getting LASIK.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE:

To assess the prevalence and severity of dry eye syndrome (DES) in patients with myopia being evaluated for laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

The prospective, non-interventional, cross-sectional study involving 9 Russian ophthalmic centers included 400 patients with myopia (aged 29.7 years in average). Among them, 145 (36.2%) wore contact lenses, and 81 (20.2%) used locally administered drugs for treatment of DES. The examination included Shirmer I test, tear film break-up test (TBUT), staining with lissamine green and fluorescein (Oxford scale), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, and classification of the disease according to dry eye workshop (DEWS).

RESULTS:

Average Shirmer test result was 15.2 mm; 36.5% of patients had signs of tear deficiency (Shirmer test ≤10 mm). Average TBUT was 11.7 seconds; the tear film of 10.1% of patients was unstable (TBUT <5 seconds). Lissamine green staining was classified as insignificant or higher (degree ≥I) in 62.3% of patients and mild or higher (degree ≥II) - in 22.8%. Mean score of the OSDI questionnaire was 20.4 indicating mild vision impairment. Dry eye severity according to DEWS classification was mild/episodic in 66.2%, moderate - in 29.5%, and severe - in 4.3% of patients. No clear correlation was evident between the Schirmer/TBUT scores and the lissamine green/OSDI scores.

CONCLUSION:

The prevalence of dry eye in this population was estimated at approximately 10% to 40% (based on clinical signs) and 40% to 55% (based on symptoms); dry-eye severity was predominantly mild/episodic. The proportion of patients requiring dry-eye therapy (based on OSDI and DEWS severity findings) was almost 2 times higher than the proportion receiving treatment.

[Prevalence and severity of dry eye syndrome in myopic candidates for laser in situ keratomileusis]. (Maychuk, Vestnik Oftalmologi, 2019.)