Platelet-rich plasma in ocular surface conditions: effects on visual acuity

Introduction: Autologous platelet-rich plasma has demonstrated the ability to accelerate healing and reduce visual function impairments in ocular surface diseases. Objective: To evaluate best-corrected visual acuity in patients with ocular surface disorders treated with platelet-rich plasma as monotherapy. Material and Methods: A pre-experimental before-after study was carried out on 111 patients with alterations of the ocular surface treated with autologous platelet-rich plasma eye drops in monotherapy in the Cornea service of the “Ramón Pando Ferrer” Cuban Institute of Ophthalmology, in the period between October 2021 and October 2022. Results: Improvement in corrected vision was obtained in all patients treated with platelet-rich plasma (p=0.000) and particularly in post-corneal ulcer epithelial defects (p=0.000). The smallest difference between the final and initial best corrected visual acuity corresponded to patients with persistent epithelial defect (0.03, RI: 0.00-0.07) and the greatest difference to the corneal post-burn epithelial defect (0.50; RI: 0.30-1.34). Also, 96.4% of patients improved their corrected visual acuity, of which 49.5% reached <0.30 (logMAR). Conclusions: It can be concluded that most patients with ocular surface conditions, once treated with PRP-A in monotherapy, have faster epithelialization and experience improvement in BCVA.