A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Topical Flurbiprofen in Maintaining Intraoperative Mydriasis during Small Incision Cataract Surgery

A prospective, comparative study to evaluate the efficacy of topical flurbiprofen in maintaining intraoperative mydriasis during cataract surgery was conducted. A total of 70 patients, undergoing small incision cataract surgery (SICS) with IOL insertion were randomized into either of the two treatment groups. Pre-operatively patients of both the group had pupillary dilatation with topical application of cyclopentolate eye drops. In addition, flurbiprofen group received 0.03% Flurbiprofen eye drops thirty minutes apart starting two hours before surgery. Intra operative mydriasis was measured at different stages of surgery such as Stage I - before anterior chamber entry, Stage II - Between anterior chamber entry, anterior capsulotomy, and nucleus delivery, Stage III-Nucleus delivery to complete cortex wash. The mean pupillary diameter at baseline was equal in both control (7.57 ± 0.73) mm and (7.57 ±0.74) mm in Flurbiprofen groups. Standard error of mean of maintained intraoperative mydriasis in control vs. flurbiprofen group were: Stage I 7.08 ± 0.50mm vs. 7.00 ± 0.93, Stage II- 5.37 ± 1.47mm vs. 5.74 ± 0.91mm and Stage III-4.28 ± 1.27mm vs. 4.00 ± 1.30mm which were not significant statistically. This study indicates that topical Flurbiprofen is not significantly effective in maintaining pupillary dilatation during SICS, compared to control group.