Purpose: To compare dosage of difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% with prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension 1 % in post operative inflammation following cataract surgery.
Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, interventional study on 204 patients who underwent small incision cataract surgery with posterior intraocular lens implantation. 102 eyes received the 0.05% difluprednate emulsion, and 102 eyes received the 1% prednisolone acetate suspension. Detailed preoperative assessments were done. The patients were followed up postoperatively on days 1st, 8th, 15th, and 30th.
Results: Parameters like BCVA was noted and there was no significant difference between the BCVA of both groups on 30th day.
Corneal oedema on day 1 was present in 18.61% and 26.47% of subjects in difluprednate group and in prednisolone group respectively. On 8th day corneal oedema resolved in 100% whereas in prednisolone group 5.88% of subjects had corneal oedema. Thus there was early resolution of corneal oedema earlier in difluprednate group.
On post-op day 8, AC inflammation cleared in 96.07% in difluprednate group while in prednisolone group 82.35 % had no AC inflammation. Grade I cells were still present in 3.92% in difluprednate group and 17.64% in prednisolone group, which suggested that clearing of AC inflammation was earlier in difluprednate group.
There was no significant IOP rise in both groups.
Conclusion
The response to 0.05 % difluprednate emulsion was equally effective to 1% prednisolone acetate suspension in controlling inflammation after Small incision cataract surgery, with added advantage of reduced dosage.
