High myopia patients should be counseled about dry eye risk following refractive surgeries

Patients, particularly those with high myopia, should be adequately counseled about the potential risk of dry eye following refractive surgeries, including laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and laser-assisted sub-epithelial keratectomy (LASEK).

The study included patients who had undergone uneventful refractive surgery in a single private medical center between. A total of 251 eyes from 137 patients were examined 6 months following the refractive surgery: 64 eyes (36 patients) after LASEK, 90 eyes (48 patients) after PRK, and 97 eyes (53 patients) after LASIK.

To assess the severity of ocular surface disease, the researchers employed the Dry Eye Workshop severity (DEWS) classification.

The DEWS score at 6 months post-surgery was significantly higher for the LASIK group compared to the PRK and LASEK groups, indicating a higher incidence of dry eye disease in LASIK patients.

Moreover, when analyzing the entire cohort, the study found that a severe DEWS score (grades 3 and 4) at 6 months post-surgery was associated with female gender and the magnitude of refractive correction, but not with age.

Reference
Yahalomi T, Achiron A, Arnon R, et al. Dry Eye Disease following LASIK, PRK, and LASEK: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study. J Clin Med. 2023;12(11):3761. doi: 10.3390/jcm12113761. PMID: 37297956; PMCID: PMC10253504.