A comparative analysis of topical corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to control inflammation and macular edema following uneventful phacoemulsification

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and prednisolone acetate in controlling inflammation and preventing cystoid macular edema (CME) after uneventful phacoemulsification. METHODS: All patients who underwent uneventful phacoemulsification from December 2020 to Feb 2021 were included in the study. These were randomly assigned to receive any one anti-inflammatory agent among topical nepafenac (0.1%) [96 eyes], bromfenac (0.07%) [93 eyes], preservative-free ketorolac (0.4%) [94 eyes], nepafenac (0.3%) [96 eyes], or prednisolone acetate (1%) [91 eyes]. The efficacy of the drugs was evaluated by comparing the grade of anterior chamber (AC) cells, conjunctival hyperemia, pain score, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and central macular thickness (CMT) at 1 and 6 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: At 1 and 6 weeks, there was no significant difference in pain score, conjunctival hyperemia, AC cells, change in IOP, and visual acuity between the prednisolone and the NSAIDs groups, though nepafenac 0.3% was most effective. At 6 weeks, there was no significant difference in the number of patients developing subclinical CME in the prednisolone versus NSAID group. The mean increase in CMT was significantly lower in nepafenac 0.3% than prednisolone at 1 and 6 weeks (P = 0.003 and 0.004, respectively). CONCLUSION: NSAIDs used in isolation are comparable to prednisolone in preventing inflammation and pain after uneventful phacoemulsification. However, nepafenac 0.3% is most comparable to prednisolone and more efficacious in reducing the incidence of CME. We recommend that nepafenac 0.3% can be used as a sole anti-inflammatory agent in patients with uneventful phacoemulsification.