Can Dry Eye Affect Cataract Surgery Results?

If you’re diagnosed with or have a flare up of dry eye before cataract surgery, it will influence your pre-op pathway. This is because any ocular surface disease (OSD) can affect both the healing process and the precise measurements the surgeon needs to calculate for optimal results.

When most of us think of cataract surgery, we tend to focus more on the actual removal of the diseased lens, rather than all the other technical elements that go alongside. And rightly so because, after all, that is your surgeon’s area of expertise. 

But, and here’s the thing… Your lens is only responsible for about a third of the eye’s ocular power (AKA, clear, focused vision). The other two thirds are down to the cornea and quality of the tear film. This means that careful cataract surgery preparation is absolutely crucial for the optimal outcome, and that includes multiple elements over and above the lens removal itself.

Ocular Surface Disease and IOL Measurements

Dry eye is only one kind of OSD. Other common types include blepharitis and allergic conjunctivitis. While they are different diseases, they all affect the quality of the tear film. If this is out of whack—meaning it doesn’t uniformly coat the eye, is excessively dry, or the tears are not of sufficient quality—this plays havoc with the precise measurements the surgeon needs to determine the correct lens power for the intraocular lens (IOL).

Prepping and having cataract surgery without addressing OSD can potentially cause:

• Inaccurate measurements to be taken: Leading to the wrong IOL lens prescription or power. This means you might be left with residual blurriness, issues with far sight, near sight, or astigmatism, all of which can reduce the benefits of having had cataract surgery in the first place.
• Delayed healing: The surgical process can cause a dry eye or OSD flare, because the procedure upsets the intricate eye physiology and tear film production. Even a mild post-op issue can translate into months of post-op issues and eyesight issues.
• Infection risk: Some types of OSD are infectious. If this is the case, this increases the risk of a serious post-op infection that could, potentially threaten long-term vision.

Pre-Op Eye Health: Diagnosis & Treatment Comes Before Surgery

We completely understand how frustrating it can be to have your cataract surgery put on hold. But waiting a few weeks for treatment shouldn’t be considered a roadblock—more of a single element of the entire process that puts you in the best place for the best result.

Screening for dry eye or OSD is an important part of the pre-op process. Your surgeon will ask you questions, perhaps have you fill in a questionnaire, and perform a physical ocular surface examination. If there’s any doubt about the health of the eye, you might be referred for more tests (simple and fairly non-invasive, so don’t worry). If you get a positive diagnosis, be happy that this has been picked up now, as it will definitely improve the odds of you having great vision after surgery.

Yes, your operation will probably be delayed. Yes, it will probably need one or more lines of attack (medications and lifestyle changes) to adequately address the problem. And yes, you’ll probably need to carry on with treatment after your cataract operation is performed as well. But rest assured that such a careful approach is exactly what’s needed for the best outcome. Short-term pain for long-term gain, if you’ll excuse the cliché…

The Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic offers some of the most advanced techniques and lenses available in the world, and we know your expectations are high. This is why intricate pre-operative testing is part and parcel of every patient’s cataract journey.

Discover more about our world-class services at https://www.moderncataractsurgery.com/