Treating patients with TearScience LipiFlow prior to cataract surgery significantly reduced patient-reports of halos compared to a control group (58.6 vs. 79 %) and showed larger improvements in meibomian gland score (MGD) than control group (107 vs. 66%), according to new comparative clinical study findings evaluating TearScience LipiFlow treatment in cataract surgery.
The results were shared in a poster presentation at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) Annual Meeting.
The study, titled Preoperative Treatment of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction with Thermal Pulsation System Prior to Extended Depth of Focus IOL Implantation, was a post-market, prospective, randomised, multi-centre, bilateral, open-label, cross-over, comparative clinical study covering five sites in the United States and comprising 115 subjects. At three-months following surgery, there were notable differences in the rates of bothersome ocular symptoms, such as seeing halos, between the study and control groups. The findings align with recent ASCRS clinical guidelines recommending proactive diagnosis and management of MGD in the preoperative cataract patient.1
MGD is a prevalent, chronic, and progressive disease that becomes worse the longer it goes untreated. In the study, presurgical TearScience LipiFlow in cataract patients improved MGD and postoperative anterior ocular health. In addition to reducing postoperative reports of halos, the presurgical treatment also showed measurable improvements in visual acuity (20/20 at 4m, 20/20 at 66cm; 20/30 at 40cm).
Reference
- Starr CE, Gupta PK, Farid M, Beckman KA, Chan CC, Yeu E, Gomes JAP, Ayers BD, Berdahl JP, Holland EJ, Kim T, Mah FS; ASCRS Cornea Clinical Committee. An algorithm for the preoperative diagnosis and treatment of ocular surface disorders. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2019 May;45(5):669-684. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2019.03.023.
