Role of topical nepafenac in preventing increase in macular thickness after phacoemulsification

Objective: To compare mean increase in macular thickness in patients using topical Nepafenac and standard treatment with standard treatment alone, after phacoemulsifation. Methodology: This was a comparative cross sectional study which involved 84 patients operated for age related cataracts. Pre-operative optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed to document the central macular thickness and patients were randomly allocated to 2 groups. Group A received topical Nepafenac 0.1% in addition to the standard post-operative topical medication. Group B received only standard regimen of topical medications including antibiotics and steroids. Phacoemulsification was performed in both groups. A post-operative OCT was done to observe the central macular thickness after 2 months of surgery. The mean increase in central macular thickness was compared between the two groups. Data were analyzed utilizing SPSS version 20.0. Results: Phacoemulsification was performed in 84 patients, males were 45 (53.57%) and 39 (46.42%) were female patients. Average age was 58.65 ±6.01 years. The mean increase in macular thickness was 6.85 ± 4.69um. There was statistically significant difference between the two groups with respect to mean post-operative macular thickness and mean increase in macular thickness (p value <0.01). Conclusion: Topical Nepafenac 0.1% was associated with less mean increase in macular thickness after cataract surgery..