Optimizando la respuesta cicatricial en cirugía refractiva de superficie con colirio de aloe vera

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the usefulness of a 30% aloe vera eye drops in postoperative LASEK through a pilot study.

Material and methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out in 32 patients (64 eyes) who underwent bilateral LASEK. One eye received aloe vera eye drops and the other eye received physiological solution. The main parameters to be evaluated were visual acuity in tenths, corneal epithelium quality, degree of comfort and presence or absence of corneal opacity. The evaluation was performed with original scales and subjectively at 24 and 96 hours and at 30, 90 and 180 days.

Results: At 96 hours the average VA was 6.4 and 6.6 tenths in the treatment and control group, respectively; and it was 9.7 tenths at 180 days in both groups. Forty-four percent and 22% of eyes in the treatment and control groups, respectively, had no discomfort in the first 24 hours; comfort was always higher in the treatment group, although without statistical significance (p= 0.37). At 96 hours the quality of the epithelium was “good or very good” in 100% of the treated eyes and in 94% of the control group. At 90 days, 4% (treatment group) and 11% (control group) presented mild haze, detected in the peripheral region of the cornea, in hypermetropic ablations, without clinical repercussions.

Conclusion: The use of 30% aloe vera eye drops has proved to be useful in the postoperative period after corneal photosurgery, which justifies further studies to confirm it.