Ophthalmic Surgery
Pain and Inflammation Following Ocular Surgery
Surgery is a common approach ophthalmologists use to treat different disorders of the eye.
Approximately 9.1 million ocular surgeries were performed in the United States in 2021.1
Among all ocular surgeries performed in the US, 4.6 million were represented by cataract
surgery making it the most common eye surgery.1 Other ocular surgeries commonly performed
could be for refractive errors, glaucoma or retinal diseases.1
Approximately 9.1 million ocular surgeries were performed in the United States in 2021.1
Ocular pain and inflammation are common complications following ophthalmic surgery.2,3 Left untreated, pain and inflammation can result in patient discomfort, delayed recovery, and poor surgical outcomes.3 Complications of ocular surgery may negatively impact patient assessment of treatment outcomes, quality of life, and the overall surgical experience.4 In one study (N=306 cataract patients), the incidence of postoperative pain was the most significant predictor of postcataract surgery satisfaction and the quality of their surgical experience.5 Postoperative inflammation can increase intraocular pressure and the likelihood of cystoid macular edema, synechiae formation, posterior capsule opacification and secondary glaucoma.3,6 To treat postoperative ocular pain and inflammation, topical anti-inflammatory agents, such as corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are typically prescribed.4
Challenges with Managing Post-op Ocular Pain and Inflammation
Improper administration has been identified as a major challenge with eye drop medications.7 A study of postoperative cataract patients (N=54 patients) prescribed three topical ocular medications demonstrated that >90% of patients exhibited at least one of the following problems with administration: missing the eye with the eye drop, instilling an incorrect amount of drops, contaminating the bottle tip, and failing to wash hands before instillation.7 Only 7.4% of patients demonstrated correct administration of these medications.
Adherence to eye drops is also challenging and may be exacerbated by the need for frequent administration.7,8 Administration concerns among the elderly include comorbidities such as dementia or arthritis that can prevent patients from instilling postoperative eye drops, or the lack of family support.9 Ocular rebound inflammation may develop secondary to rapid tapering or abrupt discontinuation of topical ocular steroid use, requiring a gradual and complex tapering schedule.10
Learn more…
about how Ocular Therapeutix is addressing the challenges of steroid eye drops for ophthalmic surgery.
REFERENCES: 1. Data on File 01463. Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. 2. Porela-Tiihonen S, et al. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2013;39:789-98. 3. Dua H, et al. European Ophthalmic Review. 2012;6:98-103. 4. Porela-Tiihonene S KH, et al. Acta Ophthalmologica. 2016;94:1-34. 5. Fung D CM, et al. Anesth Analg. 2005;100:1644-50. 6. Chang DT, et al. Clin Ophthalmol. 2009;3:345-55. 7. An JA, et al. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2014;40:1857-61. 8. Matossian C. US Ophthalmic Review. 2020;13(1):18–22. 9. Buchan JC, et al. Br J Community Nurs. 2017;22:598-601. 10. Renfro L, et al. Dermatol Clin. 1992;10:505-12.