A study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice has suggested that acupuncture may mitigate the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED) in patients in the weeks after cataract surgery.
Tell me about the study.
Investigators randomly assigned 90 patients who had developed DED post-cataract surgery to receive either acupuncture (44 patients) or non-penetrating sham acupuncture (46 patients) at seven bilateral acupoints—on the face, lower, legs, and feet—twice a week for eight weeks (16 sessions total), and were followed until week 12.
Primary outcome was change from baseline to week 8 in the tear film break-up time (TFBUT), while secondary outcomes were Ocular Surface Index (OSDI) score, tear meniscus height, corneal fluorescein staining, meiboscore, and corrected-distance visual acuity (CDVA). (via)
What criteria did patients need to meet?
Patients had to have received cataract surgery with phacoemulsification and posterior chamber monofocal intraocular (IOL) implantation within the researchers’ institute (Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center) within the last 3 months. They also had to meet the criteria of post-cataract surgery DED: an OSDI score ≥13, fluorescein TFBUT < 10s, and lower than that before surgery.
Any exclusions?
Yes; exclusions included a current acute allergic conjunctivitis diagnosis, ocular infection or inflammation, as well as eyelid abnormalities following surgery-related adverse events.
View the complete list in the paper.
So what were the results?
A change in fluorescein TFBUT was 1.52 for the acupuncture group and 0.77 in the sham group from baseline to week 8, and 1.49 (for the acupuncture group) and 0.81 (for the sham group) from baseline to week 12. For the OSDI score, difference changes were observed between groups at week 8 but not week 12.
Takehome.
Investigators concluded that the findings suggest acupuncture has the potential to become an option for complementary treatment of DED following cataract surgery.