Early Real-World Physician Experience with an Intracanalicular Dexamethasone Insert

PURPOSE: To describe the early real-world experience of physicians with an intracanalicular dexamethasone insert (DEX) in patients undergoing cataract surgery and to capture the clinical impact of adopting this therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 23 United States sites including Ambulatory Surgical Center Setting (ASC) and Outpatient Clinical settings. Respondents were physicians who had early experience with DEX in cataract surgery patients. This was a Phase 4 experiential cross-sectional survey study comprised of 3 sequential online physician surveys. Descriptive statistics summarized the surveys’ responses to determine the early impressions of the respondents. RESULTS: Forty-two physicians completed surveys. On average, physicians reported feeling comfortable administering DEX after placing 3 inserts (mean 2.7; standard deviation 1.9). Most physicians (92%) were satisfied with DEX, and all physicians (100%) reported that DEX improved patient compliance. Most physicians (62.5%) indicated they would highly prefer DEX over traditional steroid eyedrops for the management of post-surgical inflammation and pain. CONCLUSION: The surveys exploring the early use of DEX suggest that DEX is a clinically effective treatment with a rapid initial learning curve and integrates well into clinical use. Physicians had a very positive early experience with DEX, including comfort with insertion and satisfaction. DEX shows promise as a primary treatment choice of physicians for ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery by offering patients a hands-free innovative therapy that delivers a preservative-free steroid to the ocular surface over approximately 30 days.