AIM: To evaluate and compare subjective and objectively, the course of surgically induced dry eye following both phacoemulsification(PKE)and manual-small incision cataract surgery(SICS)procedure, and to analyze the result in terms of causative factors.

METHODS:This single centre prospective study included 100 eyes of 100 patients randomly divided into two groups(Group 1, SICS-50 patients; Group 2, PKE-50 patients), who underwent cataract surgery with intraocular lens(IOL)-implantation from Jun. 2013 to Dec. 2014 for a period of one and half year by single surgeon. In all patients post operative course of dry eye were tabulated and assessed at 1, 4, 12wk, subjectively and objectively, and thereafter analyzed in terms of possible causative factors. Statistical data were calculated using SPSS 23.0 Windows software.

RESULTS:There was no significant preoperative intergroup difference in subjective and objective dry eye test(DET)values(P>0.05). Both the groups showed similar trend of persistently declining objective DET-values till at the end 12wk, as compared to their respective preoperative values(P<0.05), although there were no significant intergroup changes seen throughout the postoperative period(P>0.05). PKE seems to have better subjective DET-value at the end of 12wk.

CONCLUSION:Dry eye disease is inevitable following cataract surgery. Both PKE and SICS, can affect the dry eye test values in almost similar manner post operatively till up to 12wk. Randomized multicentre trial with larger cohort and longer follow-up is warranted to substantiate our findings.