Change of Lipid Layer in Tear Film after Cataract Surgery

ABSTRACT

Several symptoms of dry eye in the patients who underwent cataract surgery are related to the stability of precorneal tear film layer. We studied the change of the lipid layer pattern in tear film after cataract surgery. Ninety-eight eyes of 87 patients were evaluated for the lipid layer patterns before operation and at two months after operation. Thirty-two eyes(32.7%) among 98 eyes had the change of the pattern of lipid layer. The change was more marked in the eyes of color fringe pattern preoperatively than others(p=0.000). The rate of change was not significantly different between the superior limbal incision group and temporal clear corneal incision group, and between the groups according to the number of sutures(p>0.05). The eyes which had had the dry eye symptoms developed more change of the lipid layer pattern(p=0.006). After cataract surgery, the change of the lipid layer pattern got more marked especially in the eyes which had had color fringe pattern before surgery. In the eyes which had had the dry eye symptoms, however, no difference was shown by the incisional site and by the number of sutures.