The Effect of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction on Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis in Asymptomatic Patients

Introduction: To evaluate the impact of asymptomatic meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) on laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) outcomes and dry eye signs and symptoms. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent LASIK surgery between July 2017 and February 2018 at Care Vision Refractive Clinic, Tel Aviv, Israel, was done. Patients were divided into those who had preoperative asymptomatic significant MGD (MGD group) and those who did not have preoperative significant MGD (control group). Outcomes were the postoperative presence of punctate epithelial erosions, dry eye symptoms, the number of postoperative visits as a measure of adverse events, visual acuity, spherical equivalent, safety index, efficacy index, and the type of refractive error (myopia or hyperopia). Results: A total of 497 eyes were included in this study. Both groups had similar rates of punctate epithelial erosions, 30 (12.9%) patients vs. 39 patients (14.8%) (p = 0.31); postoperative complaints of dryness, 75 patients (32.3%) vs. 90 patients (34.2%) (p = 0.36); and postoperative number of visits, 3.15 ± 0.75 vs. 3.12 ± 0.54 (p = 0.59). Uncorrected visual acuity (logMAR) at 1 month (0.026 ± 0.09 vs. 0.026 ± 0.17, p = 0.99) after surgery was similar in both groups. Mean spherical equivalent was 0.03 ± 0.17 and − 0.03 ± 0.18 (p = 0.99) in both groups. Safety index was 1.024 ± 0.06 in the clinically significant MGD group and 1.029 ± 0.07 in the control group (p = 0.45). Efficacy index was also similar in both groups (0.966 ± 0.155 and 0.979 ± 0.14, respectively, p = 0.31). No differences were found between patients with myopia and hyperopia. Conclusions: Patients with preoperative asymptomatic MGD have similar LASIK outcomes to patients without preoperative asymptomatic MGD. Accordingly, no preoperative MGD treatment or special caution is needed in these cases.