COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF DICLOFENAC AND FLURBIPROFEN FOR MAINTENANCE OF PUPILLARY DILATATION DURING CATARACT-SURGERY

A double-blind, prospective, randomized clinical study was undertaken to evaluate the relative efficacy of flurbiprofen 0.03% and diclofenac 0.1% eye drops, in combination with routinely used mydriatics, in mai ntaining pupillary dilatation during extracapsular cataract surgery wi th intraocular lens implantation. The effectiveness of administering s ystemic flurbiprofen along with the topical drugs in enhancing mainten ance of pupillary dilatation also was assessed. Pupillary diameter, as measured at various surgical stages, was significantly greater in the patients receiving diclofenac or flurbiprofen eye drops as compared w ith those in a control group who did not (P < .001). While the mainten ance of pupillary dilatation was consistently better with diclofenac t han with flurbiprofen, the difference was not statistically significan t. Furthermore, though maintenance of pupillary dilatation was better in cases in which systemic flurbiprofen was added to the preoperative drug regime, again, the difference was not significant.