Topical Prostaglandin F2-alpha in the Prevention of Ocular Hypertension after Extracapsular Extraction

This double masked study demonstrates the ability of prostaglandin F2-alpha (PG F2α) tromethamine to partially prevent the development of postoperative intraocular hypertension in extracapsular surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Topical application of 100 wgr of PG F2α 4 hours prior to surgery and 6 and 18 hours postsurgery resulted in a biphasic curve with relative increase of preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) and postoperative decrease in a 48-hour follow-up in 21 patients, when compared with 21 controls receiving one drop of BSS. Eighty percent of patients receiving PG F2α complained of a burning sensation, while only 14% did so in the control group. We conclude that PG F2α or analogues could be useful for postoperative IOP control.