Combination therapy with diquafosol tetrasodium and sodium hyaluronate in patients with dry eye after laser in situ keratomileusis.

Purpose: To evaluate the possible advantages of combination therapy with diquafosol tetrasodium and sodium hyaluronate for dry eye after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

Design: Prospective randomized comparative trial.

Methods: A total of 206 eyes of 105 patients who underwent LASIK were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups according to the postoperative treatment: artificial tears, sodium hyaluronate, diquafosol tetrasodium, and a combination of hyaluronate and diquafosol. Questionnaire responses reflecting subjective dry eye symptoms, uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, functional visual acuity, manifest refraction, tear break-up time, fluorescein corneal staining, Schirmer test, and corneal sensitivity were examined before and 1 week and 1 month after LASIK.

Results: Distance uncorrected visual acuity was significantly better in the combination group than in the hyaluronate group 1 week and 1 month after LASIK. Near uncorrected visual acuity was significantly better in the combination group than in the artificial tear and diquafosol groups 1 week and 1 month after LASIK. Distance functional visual acuity improved significantly only in the combination group 1 month after LASIK. The Schirmer value in the combination group was significantly higher than that in the hyaluronate group at 1 month after LASIK. Subjective dry eye symptoms in the combination group improved significantly compared with those in the other groups 1 week after surgery.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that hyaluronate and diquafosol combination therapy is beneficial for early stabilization of visual performance and improvement of subjective dry eye symptoms in patients after LASIK.