ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the change in postoperative central macular thickness in patients receiving benzalkonium chloride (BKC)-preserved and BKC-free medications after uneventful phacoemulsification. SETTING: V.M.M.C & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi (a tertiary health care hospital). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized comparative observational study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Once patients were selected, the baseline standard ophthalmic examination was done. SAMPLE SIZE: 140 eyes were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. (a) Group I: receive BKC-preserved topical medications and (b) Group II: receive BKC-free topical medications of same constituents postoperatively. Group I patients received topical BKC-preserved moxifloxacin 0.5% + dexamethasone 0.1% eye drops six times a day, timolol maleate 0.5% twice daily, tropicamide 0.8% + phenylephrine 5% once a day for 6 weeks, and Group II received same BKC-free topical eye drops for 6 weeks. Postoperatively, the patients were reviewed at day 1, week 1, week 6 for same parameters. STATISTICS: Quantitative variables: paired and unpaired t test. p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean CMT in µm at 1 week in Group I was 269.39 ± 14.56 and in Group II was 270.04 ± 6.56. The mean CMT in µm at 6 weeks in Group I was 270.39 ± 17.18 and in Group II was 270.90 ± 7.00. CONCLUSION: Neither do BKC-preserved topical medications have any independent role in increasing the central macular thickness after uneventful surgery nor do they have any role in causing pseudophakic CME.
