rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2003;87:1424-1426 doi:10.1136/bjo.87.11.1424
  • Letter

Surodex in paediatric cataract surgery

  1. S-Y Lee1,
  2. S-P Chee1,2,3,
  3. V Balakrishnan1,2,
  4. S Farzavandi1,
  5. D T H Tan1,2,3
  1. 1Singapore National Eye Centre
  2. 2Singapore Eye Research Institute
  3. 3Department of Ophthalmology, National University of Singapore
  1. Correspondence to: Soon-Phaik Chee Singapore National Eye Centre, 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751; cheesoonphaiksnec.com.sg
  • Accepted 3 March 2003

Paediatric cataract surgery is associated with a high incidence of postoperative inflammation.1–3 Intensive topical steroid therapy is still relied upon as the conventional mode of prevention and treatment.1–4 Frequently, adjuvant systemic2–5 and/or periocular steroids3–5 may be required for further control, particularly if the child has a history of, or is at risk of, uveitis (for example, microphthalmos).5–9 Non-compliance and missed application of steroid drops into the eye impedes control of the postoperative uveitis.

The Oculex Drug Delivery System (DDS; Oculex Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) is a biodegradable device that allows sustained drug release after insertion into the anterior chamber (AC). Surodex is a DDS with 60 μg of dexamethasone incorporated into the polymer matrix (poly(lactic-glycolic)-acid, PLGA) with sustained and controlled release of dexamethasone over 7 days, achieving higher intraocular drug levels than with conventional dexamethasone eye drops.10 Randomised controlled trials found Surodex to be as effective as 0.1% dexamethasone eye drops in the control of post-cataract surgery inflammation.10–12 Surodex is approved for use in cataract surgery in Singapore.

We reviewed retrospectively all paediatric patients who underwent cataract surgery with the insertion of one pellet of Surodex into the AC at the conclusion of surgery. Eighteen eyes of 13 patients (nine males and four females) were diagnosed with cataracts at a mean age of 57.4 months (range 1 day to 136 months). The mean age at surgery was 66.5 months …

[Full text of this article]

This Article

  1. Extract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.