title: Mechanisms and management of dry eye in cataract surgery patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a summary of the mechanisms that may cause dry eye after cataract surgery and discuss available and upcoming treatment modalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Development or worsening of dry eye symptoms after cataract surgery is multifactorial with corneal nerve transection, inflammation, goblet cell loss, and meibomian gland dysfunction commonly cited as underlying disorders. With increasing awareness of the prevalence of dry eye disease, current surgical techniques are being analyzed for their contribution to the issue. Although many classic interventions, such as artificial tears and anti-inflammatory drops, remain first-line treatment options, they may not adequately address abnormalities of the tear film. The trend has been to create new drugs and technologies that target meibomian gland deficiencies and restore goblet cell numbers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapy for postoperative dry eye symptoms should be determined based on symptom severity and which underlying cause is most prominent at a given time. Patients with high-level risk factors for dry eye should be evaluated preoperatively to determine whether they have preexisting dry eye disease or if they are susceptible to developing disease after surgery.
authors.affiliation: Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sutu
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuoka
authors.forename: Natalie A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Afshari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000503:physiopathology; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000503:physiopathology; D013666:Tears