Efficacy of Low-Level Light Therapy in Reducing Dry Eye in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT) in reducing the incidence or alleviating the severity of DED due to meibomian gland dysfunction in otherwise healthy patients undergoing cataract surgery.Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a treatment group or a control group.The treatment group will receive LLLT one week before and one week after cataract surgery; the control group will not recieve LLLT at any time.Researchers will compare the treatment and the control group to see if patients receiving LLLT present with reduced signs and symptoms of ocular surface dysfunction with respect to the control group.

Inclusion Criteria:healthy patients affected by senile cataractpatients scheduled for phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantationExclusion Criteria:any other ocular comorbidity (e.g. glaucoma),chronic instillation of eye drops of any typeprevious ocular surgery or trauma to the addressed eyeprevious cataract surgery in the controlateral eye,active ocular infectionsuse of systemic drug with a known or suspected link to dry eye (e.g. diuretics, antidepressants, antihistamines, hormone replacement therapy)autoimmune diseases (e.g. Sjögren syndrome)intraoperative complications (e.g. capsular bag rupture requiring vitrectomy, suprachoroidal hemorrhage)postoperative complications (e.g. endophthalmitis, vitritis)