Effects of preoperative doses of betamethasone acetate 0.1% on dry eye control after cataract surgery

Saeed Shokoohi-Rad, Seyedeh Zeinab Hashemi Javaheri, Fatemeh Zare Malekabad, Hamid Khakshoor, Mohammad Khajeh Daluee
 Eye Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Correspondence Address:
Seyedeh Zeinab Hashemi Javaheri,
Eye Research Center, Khatam Al-anbia Eye Hospital, Gharani Blvd, Mashhad
Iran

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

DOI: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_618_18

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of preoperative doses of betamethasone acetate 0.1% and placebo on controlling dry eye after cataract surgery. Methods: In this randomized triple masked clinical trial, 62 patients participated, 28 patients in betamethasone group and 34 patients in control group. From 3 days before operation, drops A or B were administered four times a day. These drops contained either betamethasone 0.1% or normal saline (placebo). Postoperative follow-up was performed on 1, 7, and 30 days after surgery. Dry eyes symptoms were evaluated by the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire and using the meniscometry test. Repeated measures analysis was used to study the interaction between betamethasone and time on meniscometry and OSDI eye variables. Results: Sixty-two patients were studied in this study with a mean age of 69.19 ± 12.80 including 51.6% female and 48.4% male. The results of the analysis of variance of the repeated measures plot indicated that the OSDI and meniscometry dry eye variables are not affected by the interaction between time and betamethasone (P = 0.192), (P = 0.578). Conclusion: The use of betamethasone acetate 0.1% prior to cataract surgery has no significant effect on postoperative dry eye indices.

Keywords: Betamethasone acetate, cataract surgery, dry eye