Abstract

Background: Cataract is the most common cause of preventable blindness and to surgically remove the affected lens and replace it with an artificial lens is the only effective treatment. Most patients post cataract surgery, complain of dry eye. Artificial tears are commonly used symptomatic treatment in dry eye. Since there is an underlying inflammatory cause; therefore, recently topical immunomodulator therapy is gaining acceptance.

Aims and Objective: The present prospective, randomized, open-label, the study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of cyclosporine 0.1% as add-on therapy with artificial tears (carboxymethylcellulose 0.5%) in post cataract surgery patients suffering from moderate-to-severe dry eye symptoms.

Materials and Methods: A total of 69 patients were selected after application of inclusion and exclusion criteria with 37 patients in artificial tears 0.5% group and 32 patients in cyclosporine 0.1% + artificial tears 0.5% group, respectively. Patients were followed up to 8 weeks. Grading of the severity of dry eye was done on the basis of ocular surface disease index scale (OSDI), and patients with >23 score were selected for the study. Safety and tolerability were based on adverse events reported by the participants.

Results: Treatment in both the group’s cyclosporine 0.1% + artificial tears 0.5% and artificial tears 0.5% leads to a significant improvement in the OSDI score in the patients at 4 weeks and 8 weeks interval (P < 0.0001). On intergroup comparison, the effect on OSDI score was more favorably affected by combination therapy than artificial tears alone. Both treatments were well tolerated, itching/burning and redness were common adverse drug events, all the events reported were mild in nature and did not warrant any cessation of therapy or change of therapy.

Conclusion: Cyclosporine 0.1% + artificial tears 0.5% and artificial tears 0.5% topical therapy caused improvement in moderate-to-severe dry eye condition. However, combination treatment was more effective than artificial tears alone, therefore, suggesting its clinical superiority in the improvement of overall symptoms of dry eye in the patients after cataract surgery.

Key words: Post Cataract Surgery Dry Eye; Artificial Tears; Cyclosporine Drops; Ocular Surface Disease Index Scale