Eye hydration and hygiene contribute to improved ocular surgery outcomes
Untreated dry eye disease (DED) and/or ocular surface disease (OSD) can significantly impact visual outcomes after laser vision correction, such as cataract and LASIK surgery. According to Eric Donnenfeld, MD individuals older than 70 years have an almost 100% chance of having meibomian gland disease, and many also have aqueous deficiency dry eye. If you are one of the over 200,000 individuals in the US affected each year by cataracts be sure you talk to your doctor about your dry, irritated itchy eyes before you have a surgical procedure. “Ocular surgery results are dependent on pre-operative care.” says Cynthia Matossian, MD, FACS.
Dry eye symptoms and cataract patients
More than 80% of cataract-age individuals also suffer from the symptoms of dry eye disease. Dry eye is the result of the destabilization of the tear film layer and results in dry, itchy, red eyes. If you have noticed your eyes feel like they are dry or burning, talk to your eye care professional about the severity of these symptoms. Dry eye occurs in four stages and will progressively worsen in left untreated. A dry ocular surface can adversely affect the results of your cataract surgery and increase the time of your recovery.
Preoperative ocular surface health affects results
Before surgery you will be tested to determine what type of lens will best suit your needs. If you suffer from dry eyes or other ocular surface diseases, your presurgical results may result in a poor lens selection, resulting in poor surgical results. Ophthalmic professionals agree that preoperative ocular surface health has a significant impact on the results of cataract surgery. “It’s important that patients do their part to stabilize the ocular surface and keep lids healthy and clean.” says Dr. Matossian.
Improve ocular surface health
To make it easier, Bruder has introduced a pre-surgical prep kit. The all-in-one kit includes:
- Bruder Hygienic Eyelid Cleansing Wipes. These textured pre-moistened wipes contain a mild surfactant designed to remove build up, oil, dirt, pollen and desquamated skin that may cause eye irritation and infection.
- Bruder Hygienic Eyelid Solution (0.02% Pure Hypochlorous acid) Naturally-occurring hypochlorous acid (HOCl) has shown high efficacy against a wide range of microorganisms. Applying one to two sprays of the solution daily to closed eyes helps fight infection, reduce inflammation and bacteria, and enhance natural ability to heal.
- The Bruder Sx Pre-Surgical Compress. This enhanced compress is designed specifically for the unique needs of the pre-surgical patient using EyeOnic™ fabric woven with antimicrobial silver threads. Like the original Bruder Moist Heat Compress, the Sx mask is filled with self-hydrating, silver-infused, patented antibacterial MediBeads® to unclog meibomian glands and stabilize the tear film to improve pre-surgical measurements. Patients microwave the mask for 20 seconds then apply for 8-10 minutes.
- Bruder Sx Case. All of the essential items that pre-op patients need are neatly housed in an attractive, yet practical case that’s large enough for doctors to customize by adding complimentary products, prescriptions or patient education paperwork.
Bruder Sx Pre-Surgical Patient Prep Kit
Do your part to get your eyes ready for surgery. The Bruder Sx Pre-surgical Patient Prep Kit provides three steps to a healthier eye surface.
Maintain healthy eyes after your operation
In the months after your cataract surgery, continue your eye hygiene and hydration routine with the moist heat eye compress as recommended by your doctor. This will improve the recovery process and help prevent dry eye symptoms from worsening.
