Manuka honey eye drops improved dry eye symptoms after cataract surgery

Patients who used Leptospermum spp (Manuka) honey eye drops after cataract surgery experienced greater improvement in dry eye symptoms and lower ocular surface inflammation at 1 month compared with those using sodium hyaluronate eye drops, according to a study.

The study included 53 eyes from 53 patients undergoing cataract surgery, with participants consecutively assigned to either Manuka eye drops (25 eyes) or sodium hyaluronate drops (28 eyes). Assessments were performed before surgery and at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively.

At 1 month, the Manuka group demonstrated a greater reduction in Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores compared with the control group (-27.3 ± 20.3 vs -4.3 ± 17.4). After adjusting for baseline OSDI score and sex, the Manuka group maintained significantly lower OSDI scores, with an adjusted mean difference of -18.7 (95% CI, -28.8 to -8.7; P = 0.007).

Conjunctival redness was also significantly lower in the Manuka group at 1 month, with an adjusted mean difference of -0.56 (95% CI, -0.91 to -0.21; P = 0.014). However, no significant differences in NIBUT were observed between groups.

Reference

García-Bardera J, García-Bella J, Cuba-Sulluchuco FK, et al. Efficacy of Manuka honey eye drops in managing dry eye disease after cataract surgery: a prospective controlled study. Front Ophthalmol (Lausanne). 2026;6:1812914. doi: 10.3389/fopht.2026.1812914. PMID: 42131280; PMCID: PMC13160837.