Patient-Reported Dry Eye Outcomes After Myopic Femtosecond-LASIK: A 6-Month Prospective Analysis

PURPOSE: To evaluate patient-reported outcomes in relation to dry eye symptoms following femtosecond LASIK (FS-LASIK). METHODS: This study was conducted as a prospective, observational case series of patients undergoing bilateral myopic FS-LASIK at a single private practice institution. Enrolled patients were prospectively administered a standardized Dry Eye Symptom Index survey (analog score of 1 to 5 with 5 being the worst) prior to treatment and at 6-months after FS-LASIK. The following objective measurements were also recorded: objective scatter index (OSI), tear film osmolarity (TFO), and automated tear break-up times (TBUT). RESULTS: There were 40 enrolled patients who underwent bilateral myopic FS-LASIK and completed the 6-month study period. The Dry Eye Symptom Index score improved from 2.3 (2.0–2.6, 95% Confidence Intervals) prior to treatment to 1.3 (1.0–1.5) at 6 months (p < 0.0001). Subset analysis of the subjective dry eye symptoms showed improvement in “grittiness” (p = 0.001) but not in “light sensitivity” or “soreness” (p = 0.13 and p = 0.24, respectively). There were no significant changes in the OSI, TFO, or TBUT measurements at 6 months (p > 0.05 for all), and there were no adverse events or complications during the study period. CONCLUSION: Patient-reported dry eye symptoms improve after 6 months following myopic FS-LASIK. This did not correlate with the objective dry eye measurement changes at 6 months.