Changes in ocular aberrations after instillation of artificial tears in dry-eye patients

Purpose. To study the effect of artificial tear instillation on ocular aberrations in dry-eye patients. Setting. Research, Development and Innovation Department, Instituto Oftalmologico de Alicante, Alicante, Spain. Methods. Ocular aberrations (total, spherical-like, and coma-like) were measured with a Hartmann-Shack aberrometer before and after artificial tear instillation (immediately and 10 minutes later) in 15 eyes of 15 dry-eye patients. Results. Optical aberrations showed a statistically significant reduction after artificial tear instillation (P<.01). Total aberrations decreased on average by a factor of 2 to 3 times immediately after instillation; the reduction was maintained after 10 minutes (P>.01). Conclusions: After artificial tear instillation, the reduction in optical aberrations associated with an increasingly irregular tear film may cause an improvement in the optical quality of dry eyes. Wavefront analysis facilitates the evaluation of improvement in optical quality after artificial tear instillation in patients with dry eye. (C) 2004 ASCRS and ESCRS.