ESCRS - PO012 - EFFECT OF FS-LASIK AND KLEX ON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DRY EYE DISEASE

EFFECT OF FS-LASIK AND KLEX ON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DRY EYE DISEASE

Published 2025 - 29th ESCRS Winter Meeting

Reference: PO012 | Type: Presented Poster & Poster | DOI: 10.82333/n5zn-em09

Authors: Suphi Taneri* 1 , Anika Förster 2 , Teresa Tsai 3 , H. Burkhard Dick 3 , Stephanie Joachim 3

1Center for Refractive Surgery,Eye center of St. Francis Hospital,Muenster,Germany;Ruhr-University,Bochum,Germany, 2Center for Refractive Surgery,Eye center of St. Francis Hospital,Muenster,Germany, 3Ruhr-University,Bochum,Germany

Purpose

To investigate the influence of laser vision correction on subjective symptoms and objective signs of dry eye and to clarify relationships between these and find indica­tors for subjective symptoms after keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEx) and fs-LASIK procedures.

Setting

Eye Center at St. Francis Hospital, Münster, Germany

Methods

Right eyes of patients undergoing KLEx surgery (n=35) and fs-LASIK (n=14) were examined preopera­tively and 5 and 90 days postoperatively using tear film break-up time [BUT], Schirmer test, lissamine green and fluorescein staining, and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) question­naire. Tear samples were eluted from Schirmer strips and then measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), interleukin-1b, IL-6, IL-8, matrix metallopeptidase 9 [MMP-9], nerve growth factor, and tumor necrosis factor-a). Postoperatively, unpre­served ofloxacin and dexamethasone eye drops were given (four times a day for 10 days).

Results

After KLEx, BUT was decreased at days 5 (P = .023) and 90 (P = .025). Lissamine green staining was increased at day 90 and OSDI score was increased at day 5 for both methods, respectively. A downregulation of CGRP (P = .006) and MMP-9 levels (P = .042) was observed on day 5 compared to day 90 for KLEx. Downregulated CGRP levels were noted 5 days after Femto-LASIK, while other protein markers were not significantly altered.

Conclusion

Due to incongruity of patient symptoms, clin­ical signs, and tear protein changes, no predictive indicator was found although some patients reported increased discomfort. Therefore, changes after KLEx and fs-LASIK seem to be not exclusively related to increased dry eye, rather subjective symptoms maybe multifactorial in orign and could be classified as laser vision correction-related discomfort. In the future, this could possibly be better detected and treated using pain markers such as CGRP.