Preoperative and postoperative medications used for cataract surgery

The current state of cataract surgery for the millennium may be stated as "minimally invasive techniques." This review presents recent articles on the perioperative use of antibiotics (primarily fluoroquinolones), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (Voltaren and ketorolac), and new corticosteroids (rimexolone and loteprednol etabonate). Preoperative topical application of ofloxacin or ciprofloxacin results in a satisfactory minimal inhibitory concentration for most pathogens. However, one cannot determine the actual effect of intraoperative antibiotics on acute postoperative endophthalmitis, because of its low overall incidence. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, especially Voltaren, may offer equivalent antiinflammatory efficacy (for both postoperative inflammation and cystoid macular edema) without the typically corticosteroid-associated adverse events. Rimexolone and loteprednol etabonate, two new corticosteroids, may offer good antiinflammatory efficacy with greatly reduced risk for elevation of intraocular pressure.