artificial tears

Artificial tears, specifically a saline-based solution, were utilized as the placebo control arm in the Steroids After Laser Trabeculoplasty (SALT) trial (NCT01786590). This randomized, double-masked study was led by Stanford University to evaluate whether the use of post-operative anti-inflammatory eye drops—specifically prednisolone (a steroid) or ketorolac (an NSAID)—influenced the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering efficacy of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. In the trial, the artificial tears were administered four times daily for approximately five days following the laser procedure. The study concluded that the use of anti-inflammatory drops resulted in significantly greater IOP reduction at 12 weeks compared to the saline placebo group, suggesting that short-term anti-inflammatory treatment may improve the success of SLT.

Other names

saline tearsartificial saline tears