Abstract
PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of Thermal pulsation treatment, completed one month prior to cataract surgery, as a means of eliminating or significantly mitigating the exacerbating effects of cataract surgery on dry eye patients. SETTING: Glendale, Arizona. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal, non-masked, randomized clinical investigation. METHODS: The treatment group received Thermal pulsation therapy approximately 1 month prior to undergoing immediate sequential, same-day bilateral cataract surgery. The control group did not receive pre-operative Thermal pulsation but had cataract surgery performed in the same way, approximately 1 month after their baseline visit. Subjective questionnaires and objective clinical findings were evaluated at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months after cataract surgery in the treatment group and control group. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients were randomized into two groups of 31 representing 124 eyes. Subjective improvement was observed in the treatment group with OSDI and SPEED II scores. Mean (SD) of the OSDI improved significantly (p<0.01) from 56.98 (18.30) from visit 1 to 14.73 (12.22) at visit 4, and the mean (SD) of the SPEED II scores improved significantly (p=0.01) from 13.84 (6.12) during visit 1 to 7.1 (5.00) at visit 4 in the treatment group. CONCLUSION: Pre-operative Thermal pulsation treatment in patients with dry eye secondary to MGD appears to reduce dry eye symptoms after cataract surgery. Expectations should be moderated by the fact that the reduction in symptoms appears to reduce prior to 3 months post-op after cataract surgery.