Ergoophthalmological risks associated with dry eye in the operating room

Abstract

Dry eye disease is one of the most common pathologies of the ocular surface. In parallel with increased screen exposure, environmental changes and modern life in recent years, the prevalence and severity of dry eye have been increasing. Ergoophthalmology is the study of visual ergonomic conditions. It is concerned with injuries to the eyes caused by occupational factors and uses a multidisciplinary approach to understand the causes of occupational vision-related and ocular diseases and to prevent and manage these conditions. Vision-related risks in the operating room are critical for patients and health care providers. There are many predisposing factors in the operating room environment – air conditioning, constant humidity, constant room temperature, intense lighting, surgical smoke, anaesthetic gases and the use of irritant chemicals and biological aerosols. In addition, surgery itself is a critical task requiring long-term mental effort and concentration which can also predispose operating room staff to dry eye disease. In this review, we discuss occupational and environmental ergoophthalmological risk factors for dry eye disease in the operating room.