Effect of topical brimonidine on intraocular pressure after small incisioncataract surgery

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of brimonidine 0.2% on intraocular pressure (IOP) after small incision cataract surgery. Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria . Methods: This prospective randomized study comprised 80 eyes of 40 patients scheduled for small incision cataract surgery in both eyes. In each patien t, 1 eye was randomly assigned to receive 1 drop of brimonidine 0.2% or no treatment (control), immediately after surgery. The fellow eye received the other assigned treatment. All patients had standardized surgery by the sam e surgeon with sodium hyaluronate 1%, a temporal 3.5 mm sutureless posterio r limbal incision, phacoemulsification, and implantation of a. foldable int raocular lens. The IOP was measured preoperatively as well as 6 and 20 to 2 4 hours and 1 week postoperatively. Results: Six hours after surgery, the mean increase in IOP was 4.7 mm Hg +/ - 6.1 (SD) in the brimonidine group and 4.6 +/- 53 mm Hg in the control gro up, In each group, 17 eyes (43%) had an IOP increase of 5 mm Hg or more. Tw enty to 24 hours after surgery, the mean increase in IOP was 1.5 +/- 4.2 mm Hg in the brimonidine group and I 1.6 +/- 4.4 mm Hg in the control group. There were no statistically significant between-group differences at any me asurement. Conclusions: In both groups, IOP significantly increased 6 hours and 20 to 24 hour after small incision cataract surgery. Brimonidine 0.2% failed to r educe the IOP increase observed after small Incision cataract surgery. J Ca taract Refract Surg 2001; 27:1227-1231 (C) 2001 ASCRS and ESCRS.