[Peri-/postoperative Antiinflammation Therapy after Cataract and Refractive Surgery]

Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgery worldwide, and refractive surgery is gaining more and more popularity. Although they are rare, some possible complications of these procedures remain relevant for surgeons and patients. Macular edema in cataract surgery and sterile infections of the cornea after refractive corneal surgery can lower the visual outcome significantly. Such complications can occur due to activation of inflammation cascades as a result of local tissue manipulation during the surgery. Even though the incidence is very low, there are affected patients as a result of the high number of performed surgeries. Therefore, lowering those numbers with perioperative application of local eye drops is critical. Studies show a lower risk of macular edema, anterior chamber inflammation and postoperative pain in patients treated with perioperative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). That is why a treatment with corticosteroid and NSAID drops should be prescribed. After lamellar corneal surgery, a local steroid application is recommended to lower the incidence of haze and deep lamellar keratitis (DLK).