title: Effects of sodium hyaluronate on wavefront aberrations in dry eye patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of a single instillation of hypotonic 0.18% sodium hyaluronate artificial tears on wavefront aberrations in dry eye patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with dry eye were recruited into this single-center, prospective, double-masked, randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomly assigned to receive one drop of preservative-free, hypotonic 0.18% sodium hyaluronate (treatment) in one eye and one drop of sterile 0.9% sodium chloride solution (control) in the other eye. Ocular aberrations evaluated by a Hartmann-Shack aberrometer and severity of dry eye symptoms graded by a questionnaire (at baseline, 1, 10, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after instillation) were the main outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a single instillation of one drop of the allocated eye drops, there were no statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups in total higher-order aberrations, coma, and spherical aberrations during the study period (p = 0.40, 0.57, and 0.16, respectively). Although a statistically significant (p = 0.04) decrease from baseline in spherical aberrations was noted in the treatment group at 1 minute following instillation, it gradually increased back to baseline values at later time points. A statistically significant diminishment of dry eye symptoms compared with the placebo was reported at all time points by the treatment group (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single instillation of hypotonic 0.18% sodium hyaluronate eye drops is safe and effective in alleviating subjective dry eye symptoms; however, it does not appear to affect higher-order aberrations in moderate to severe dry eye patients.
authors.affiliation: *MD Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Kaevalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lekhanont
authors.forename: Varintorn
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chuckpaiwong
authors.forename: Anun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vongthongsri
authors.forename: Tarinee
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sangiampornpanit
mesh_terms: D057128:Aberrometry; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D057108:Corneal Wavefront Aberration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013666:Tears / Q000502:physiology; D055675:Viscosupplements / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D055675:Viscosupplements; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid