Dropless™ vs. Less Drops™ Pharmaceutical Regimens After Cataract Surgery

Modern cataract surgery has become a relatively short out-patient procedure with small incisions and short post-operative recovery time. Surgery can be influenced by surgical technique and experience. Prophylactic pharmaceutical regimens are designed to control post-operative pain and to reduce the potential for inflammation (i.e. macular edema, CME) and infection (i.e. endophthalmitis). The most serious potential infection related to cataract surgery is endophthalmitis. Endophthalmitis is a result of microorganisms entering the eye, either during the surgical procedure or before surgical incisions have healed completely. The risk of infection can be reduced in several ways. Pre-operatively, reducing the bacteria on the cornea and ocular adnexa can be helpful. During surgery, appropriate technique can reduce the potential for ingress. Post-operatively, prophylactic antibiotics can eliminate organisms once they have entered the eye. Topical drops, intracameral antibiotics and subconjunctival injections are typical options in current use, usually selected on the basis of spectrum of coverage, cost, efficacy and/or expected side effects. With regard to inflammation, one of the most common post-operative responses is cystoid macular edema (CME). Steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) appear effective in reducing the incidence of CME, with NSAIDs posing a lower risk for IOP spikes and showing greater efficacy some studies. While there is documented evidence of the utility of prophylactic post-operative treatment for pain and infection, patient compliance remains a significant concern. The regimen is often complex, with multiple drops several times per day. Inability to instill the drops, forgetfulness and a lack of appreciation for the importance of compliance can all be contributing factors. There are several new options to try to address the potential issues related to poor patient compliance. One is referred to as "dropless" cataract surgery, which involves injection of a multi-drug compound into the eye at time of cataract surgery; one such compound includes triamcinolone acetonide, moxifloxacin hydrochloride and vancomycin (TriMoxiVanc). Another alternative is to reduce the burden of the pharmaceutical regimen using a compounded topical medication; this is termed "less drops" cataract surgery. An option in this regard is a topical formulation of prednisolone acetate, moxifloxacin hydrochloride and ketorolac tromethamine (PredMoxiKetorolac), given for one week post-operatively followed by a topical formulation of prednisolone acetate and ketorolac tromethamine (PredKeterolac) given for weeks 2 to 4 after surgery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the differences in performance between the dropless and less-drops pharmaceutical regimens after cataract surgery.