Consider This Steroid/Antibiotic Combo After Cataract Surgery
Adding post-surgery injection of combination steroid/antibiotic (triamcinolone acetonide/moxifloxacin) to standard NSAID eye drop therapy following cataract surgery effectively controlled intraocular inflammation compared to eye drops alone, according to a retrospective longitudinal comparative study involving nearly 1,200 eyes.
The electronic medical records of patients who underwent cataract surgery were used to identify patients who received standard NSAID eye-drop (n=514) and NSAID eye-drop plus triamcinolone acetonide\moxifloxacin injection therapy (n=681). Investigators compared intraocular inflammation, corneal edema severity, and the rate of high intraocular pressure (IOP), postoperatively. Among the results:
- Triamcinolone acetonide\moxifloxacin injection plus eye drops reduced postoperative anterior chamber cell reaction severity by 34% and 35% 1 week and 1 month after surgery, respectively, compared to eye drop therapy alone.
- While those taking steroid/antibiotic therapy were 48% more likely to experience corneal edema on postop day 1, this was not the case 1 week and 1 month postop.
- IOP was similar in both groups at all time points.
Nassiri S, Hwang FS, Kim J, et al. Comparative Analysis of Intravitreal Triamcinolone acetonide/Moxifloxacin versus Standard Peri-operative Eye Drops in Cataract Surgery. Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. [Published online ahead of print December 20, 2018] doi: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2018.12.019.
