AIM: To investigate the effect of recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor(rb-bFGF)eye drops and hydroxyl indican eye drops on tear film stability and dry eye symptoms after age-related cataract surgery.

METHODS: Totally 80 patients with 80 affected eyes undergoing age-related cataract surgery in our hospital from January 2015 to October 2016 were selected as study subjects, and they were randomly divided into control group and experimental group with 40 patients(40 affected eyes)in each group. The two groups were treated with hydroxyl indican eye drops and rb-bFGF eye drops, respectively. The clinical curative effect, inflammation related factors \〖interleukin 6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)\〗, Schirmer test(SⅠt), break-up time(BUT)of tear film, corneal sodium fluorescein staining(FL)and scores of dry eye symptoms in the two groups were observed.

RESULTS: The total treatment effective rate of experimental group after treatment was significantly higher than that of the control group(90.0% vs 72.5%; χ²=4.021, P<0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in IL-6, TNF-α, SⅠt, BUT, FL score and scores of dry eye symptoms between the two groups(P>0.05). After treatment, IL-6, TNF-α, SⅠt, FL score and scores of dry eye symptoms in two groups significantly decreased while BUT significantly increased(P<0.05), and changes of the indexes were more significant in the experimental group than the control group(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: In the treatment of patients after age-related cataract after surgery, rb-bFGF eye drops has more advantages over hydroxyl indican eye drops in regulating the expression of inflammatory factors, improving the tear film stability and relieving dry eye symptoms.