Eyeworld

EW REFRACTIVE 60 August 2017 by Maxine Lipner EyeWorld Senior Contributing Writer it out through the initial burning. However, after seeing an article by a physician mentioning that bromfenac could be used to fore- stall discomfort perioperatively, Dr. Keil began to wonder about this. "I thought it would be nice to quantify how much you need and the tim- ing," Dr. Keil said. "Can we get away Bromfenac use in femto LASIK A single drop of topical Prolensa (bromfenac, Bausch + Lomb, Bridge- water, New Jersey) given before femtosecond LASIK can be enough to forestall patient discomfort after the procedure, More than a drop in the bucket according to Michael L. Keil, DO, director of the ophthalmology residency program, and clinical assistant professor, Michigan State University, East Lansing. That's what new results published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery indi- cate, he reported. 1 Dr. Keil initially heard some anecdotal comments in an online forum claiming that bromfenac helped to improve the immediate postoperative discomfort following LASIK. "A lot of patients complained about burning and stinging shortly after the procedure," he said, adding that he didn't think there was any- thing that could be done about this. Quelling the burn Typically, Dr. Keil would tell patients to take acetaminophen and tough Research highlight continued on page 61 by Rich Daly EyeWorld Contributing Writer Readiness of members of U.S. military improved after they underwent refractive surgery, according to recent research Study shows military readiness improves after refractive surgery on "ability to utilize night vision goggles," and 65% improved their scores on "ability to function at night." The study also sought the expe- rience of deployed service members. Among the 27 members of the survey group who deployed before and after refractive surgery, 21, or 77%, reported improvement in their visual capabilities and readiness. Additionally, if they were given the opportunity to do the proce- dure over, 167 out of 169, or 98.8%, would have the surgery again, the study found. "Active duty U.S. military felt their vision after undergoing refrac- tive surgery significantly improved their military readiness and capabil- ities," Dr. Sia said. "The majority of them were satisfied with the surgery they underwent." EW Reference 1. Donnenfeld E. Improving the safety and efficacy of military personnel and first responders. www.eyeworld.org/article-im- proving-the-safety-and-efficacy-of-mili- tary-personnel-and-first-responders. Accessed November 28, 2016. Editors' note: Dr. Sia has no financial interests related to her comments. The views expressed in this article are those of Dr. Sia and her co-authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of the Army/Navy/Air Force, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. Contact information Sia: rosekristine.c.sia.ctr@mail.mil A lthough clinical tests typ- ically assess postop visual performance, the authors of an assessment of members of the military wanted to understand the impact of refractive procedures in a mili- tary setting, where service members may be subjected to unique visual demands, said Rose Sia, MD, one of the authors of the research presented as a poster at the 2017 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress. The poster received an honorable mention from the symposium's judges. Dr. Sia noted that the U.S. mil- itary is one of the largest refractive surgery providers in the country and performs about one in five proce- dures nationally. 1 The study enrolled 360 active duty members of the military with refractive error and compared their preop military performance ques- tionnaire with one given 6 months postop. The mean age was nearly 30, 91% were male, mean manifest sphere was –2.60 ± 1.92 D, and mean manifest cylinder was –0.74 ± 0.66 D. Treatments included 66.9% undergoing PRK, 31.9% undergo- ing LASIK, and 0.3% receiving an implantable collamer lens. Three patients were not treated. The patients were assessed at 6 months postop on eight measures— including "weapons sighting ability" and "ability to function at night"— using a 5-point scale to range from "very bad" to "very good." "The median scores were 5 in all measures, meaning they were improved compared to their preop scores," Dr. Sia said. Postop results improved for most respondents in each measure. For instance, 57% improved their scores on "overall individual readi- ness," 41% improved their scores on "ability to contribute to the unit's mission," 86% improved their scores

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