Effects of preoperative doses of betamethasone acetate 0.1% on dry eye control after cataract surgery

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of the preoperative doses of betamethasone acetate 0.1% and placebo on controlling dry eye after cataract surgery. METHODS: This randomized triple-blind clinical trial was conducted on 62 patients. For the purpose of the study, the participants were assigned into two groups of betamethasone (n = 28) and placebo (n = 34). The groups were administered with drops A or B three days before the operation, four times a day. These drops contained either betamethasone 0.1% or normal saline (placebo). Postoperative follow-up was performed 1, 7, and 30 days after the surgery. Dry eye symptoms were evaluated by means of the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) using the meniscometry test. Repeated measures analysis was also used to study the effect of the interaction between betamethasone and time on meniscometry and OSDI variables. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients, including 51.6% female and 48.4% male, were investigated in this study with a mean age of 69.19 ± 12.80 years. The results of the analysis of variance of the repeated measures plot indicated that the OSDI and meniscometry dry eye variables were not affected by the interaction between time and betamethasone (P = 0.192 and P = 0.578, respectively). CONCLUSION: As the findings indicated, the use of betamethasone acetate 0.1% prior to cataract surgery had no significant effect on postoperative dry eye indices.