Intracameral mydriatics do not increase macular edema after cataract surgery

Cataract surgery performed using intracameral lidocaine and phenylephrine for mydriasis and anesthesia does not lead to more significant macular edema compared with topical mydriatics and intracameral lidocaine, according to a study by researchers in Sweden.

Anders Behndig, MD, PhD, and colleagues at Umeå University Hospital compared the severity of postoperative macular edema between 11 patients given a 150 µL mixture of 1.5% phenylephrine and 1% lidocaine and 11 control patients given conventional topical mydriatics and intracameral lidocaine.

Optical coherence tomography revealed no differences in postoperative macular edema between the two groups, according to the study.

However, the researchers found a correlation between macular edema and impaired visual acuity at 1 week postop, as well as a correlation between corneal edema and the degree of visual improvement at 1 day postop.

The study is published in the August issue of Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.