Dropless Cataract Surgery

Advantages

Convenience– It can be inconvenient or impossible for some patients to take up to 8 drops a day on a fixed schedule. If someone misses his or her eye drops, then a perfect surgery may have a less than ideal outcome. In addition, some patients have difficulty with instillation of eye drops due to arthritis or a strong blink reflex. ‘Dropless’ cataract surgery helps patients avoid this issue.
Quicker recovery– Since the medications are directly delivered inside of the eye, the drug has greater effect rather than being absorbed via eye drops. Our experience is that patients have less inflammation in first days post-op compared to those taking eye drops.
Cost– The standard eye drops can frequently run over $200 for patients, even when covered by insurance. For ‘dropless’ cataract surgery, we pay for the cost of the medication.

Disadvantages

May still need drops – Since a set dose is delivered at the time of surgery, patients may require eye drops after surgery. In about 10% of ‘dropless’ cases, patients can develop rebound inflammation where patients will have to take a lower dose of steroid until the inflammation is controlled. In addition, other issues commonly arising after cataract surgery, such as high eye pressure, are only treatable with eye drops.
Visibility of the medication– Because the steroid is injected into the white space at the bottom of the eye, it often remains visible for about a month after surgery as a white deposit. It is usually hidden by the lower eyelid but still may be visible in some cases.
Need for a non-steroidal eye drop– For some patients (for example those with diabetes, macular degeneration, or high myopia), getting ‘dropless’ cataract surgery still requires a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drop one time a day.

We look forward to discussing if you will be able to take advantage of ‘dropless’ cataract surgery during your pre-operative visit with us.