[On the effectiveness of the postsurgical mono- or combination therapy after cataract operations]

In postoperative inflammatory diseases of the anterior segment of the eye the cause of the inflammation on the one hand and symptoms on the other hand have to be treated. Exactly this target can be reached by a combination of the active ingredients dexamethasone and gentamicin. In the present study we compared a fixed combination therapy with the consecutive application of the same substances.

We examined the effectiveness and handling of a fixed combination in a prospective, single-masked, randomised, comparing, controlled parallel group design study in comparison with a separate application of dexamethason and gentamicin sulfate in cataract patients. The main target criteria was the postoperative inflammation measured by of the laser-flare meter and clinical parameters. In addition different investigations were accomplished for the estimation of the compliance and the subjective tolerability.

There was a significantly lower inflammation rate measured by the Tyndall value and the clinical examination on days 7 and 14 after cataract surgery on applying the combined medicinal product in comparison to applying the same active ingredients but in separate eye drops.

Patients receiving the fixed combination will have advantages compared to those patients receiving the active ingredients as single agent therapy. A major advantage of a combined medicinal product is the lack of a wash-out effect with the combination therapy. Therefore, such a therapeutic possibility should chosen for ophthalmological patients.