Effects of auricular point sticking on dry eye in myopia patients after SMILE surgery: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial

Objective To observe the intervention effect of auricular point sticking on dry eye in myopia patients after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery. Methods This was a prospective randomized controlled study conducted among the myopia patients who received SMILE surgery at Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University. The post-SMILE operation patients who screened by the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized into a control group and a treatment group. Patients in the control group were given 0.1% fluorometholone and 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose sodium eye drops, while the treatment group was given additional unilateral auricular point sticking for 1 month. The patients were estimated using ocular surface disease index (OSDI), Schirmer tear test-1 (STT-1), tear film break-up time (TF-BUT), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS) score, corneal sensitivity (CS) and visual quality (VQ) at 1 d, 1 week and 1 month after surgery; the changes in anxiety and depression were also observed in the patients. Results Compared with the first day after operation, CS in the nasal region was improved in the treatment group, and the VQ score increased in the control group patients at 1 week after operation (both P <0.05); at 1 month after operation, the TF-BUT increased, CFS score decreased, CS in the central and nasal regions increased (all P <0.05), and VQ score increased ( P <0.01) in the treatment group, and the CS in the central, upper, lower and nasal regions were improved (all P <0.05), and VQ score increased ( P <0.01) in the control group. The between-group comparison showed that the differences in the change of TF-BUT were statistically significant at 1 week and 1 month after surgery, respectively (both P <0.05). Conclusion Auricular point sticking therapy can increase the TF-BUT and accelerate the repair of ocular surface function in post-SMILE patients.