Comparison of prednisolone acetate and indomethacin for maintaining mydriasis during cataract surgery

Preoperative topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as flurbiprofen and indomethacin have been found to maintain mydriasis during cataract surgery. Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used to treat postoperative inflammation, but their effect on the maintenance of intraoperative mydriasis is unknown. Forty-six patients admitted for elective cataract surgery were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups and received 1% prednisolone acetate, 1% indomethacin or artificial tears four times before surgery, in addition to standardized preoperative dilating drops and intraoperative epinephrine. Pupillary diameter was measured and the time interval noted five times during the surgery. During surgery the indomethacin group lost significantly less mydriasis than the control group. The mydriasis losses of the prednisolone acetate group were between those of the indomethacin and control groups, but these differences did not reach significance. We conclude that prednisolone acetate is less effective than indomethacin for maintaining mydriasis during cataract surgery.