INCIDENCE AND SEVERITY OF POSTOPERATIVE DRY EYE DISEASE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PHACOEMULSIFICATION VERSUS SMALL INCISION CATARACT SURGERY

Purpose: To compare the incidence and severity of dry eye disease (DED) following phacoemulsification and small incision cataract surgery (SICS) using subjective and objective tear film parameters. Methods: A comparative study of 500 patients who underwent cataract extraction, divided equally into a phacoemulsification group (n=250) and a SICS group (n=250). Postoperative evaluation at one month included the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Tear Film Break-Up Time (TBUT), and the Schirmer I test.