Comparing the Effect of Pre-Operative Doses of Betamethasone Acetate 0.1% and Placebo on Control of Eye Inflammation and Pain after Cataract Surgery

Purpose: To compare the effects of pre-operative doses of Betamethasone acetate (0.1%) and placebo on controlling ocular pain and inflammation after cataract surgery.Methods: This randomized clinical trial, double blind study was done. 62 patients (31 in each group) completed the project. From 3 days before the date of operation, drops of A or B were administered 4 times a day. These drops contained either Betamethasone 0.1% or normal saline (placebo). Postoperative follow up was performed on days 1, 7 and one month after surgery. Ocular pain was evaluated by the visual analogue scale and the anterior segment inflammation was measured according to SUN (cell, flare and eye redness) by slit lamp biomicroscopy. Results: Sixty-two patients were studied in this study that candidate for surgery with a mean age of 69.19±12.80 including 51.6% female and 48.4% male. The results of the study of changes in pain and ocular inflammation during 30 days after operation based on repeated measures test in each intervention and control group showed that in both pain variables (in the intervention group, p=0.002 and in the control group, p<0.0001) And ophthalmic inflammation (in the intervention group (p=0.002) and in the control group (p<0.0001) and flare (in the intervention group (p=0.003) and in the control group (p<0.0001) And in the comparison of the two groups, changes in pain variables and inflammatory variables were significant (p<0.0001) Conclusion: The use of 0.1% betamethasone acetate prior to cataract surgery has significant effect on postoperative ocular inflammation) cell & flare) and pain.