Comparison of the anti-miotic effect of 0.03% flurbiprofen with 1% indomethacin in cataract extraction

Maintaining successful mydriasis is essential during cataract extraction. The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in order to inhibit trauma induced miosis has been advocated by many authors. Indomethacin 1% has proved his efficacy since many years. Flurbiprofen has been introduced more recently and has been accepted largely because of a better patient comfort. He proved his efficacy against placebo. We conducted a randomized double blind study in order to verify if there is any difference in efficacy between these two drugs. 40 cases were randomly assigned to a pretreatment, not known by the surgeons, with Indomethacin 1% (Indoptic) or Flurbiprofen 0.03% (Ocuflur). Measurements were taken at the beginning of surgery, after nucleous extraction and after irrigationaspiration of lens cortical material. Sodium hyaluronate and epinephrine were not used during this study. After nucleous extraction, the mean pupillary constriction was 1.53 mm in the Indomethacin group and 1.23 mm in the Flurbiprofen group (p greater than 0.1). After aspiration of cortical material, the mean pupillary constriction was 2.27 mm in the Indomethacin group and 2.00 in the Flurbiprofen group (p greater than 0.1). Cumulative results of patients who constricted the pupil more than 2 and 3 mm showed a better result in the Flurbiprofen group. Flurbiprofen has proved in this study his efficacy compared to an other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in inhibiting trauma induced miosis.