Today's sweep brought two biosimilar filings but no new ophthalmic drug action with clinical detail. The substantive publication is the executive summary of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons guideline on cataract surgery, developed by a multidisciplinary panel with methodologist support using GRADE, addressing 32 key clinical questions across the whole pathway from screening to postoperative care.
Several recommendations are concrete enough to check a local protocol against immediately. Intracameral antibiotics are recommended to prevent endophthalmitis. Topical anaesthesia is the preferred technique. Toric intraocular lenses are recommended for corneal astigmatism of 1.0 dioptre or more. Conventional and femtosecond laser-assisted surgery are described as comparably safe and effective — a useful statement given the cost differential. NSAID eye drops, alone or with corticosteroids, are recommended to reduce inflammation and prevent cystoid macular oedema.
Two further areas are addressed that most cataract guidance has avoided: the safe use of immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery, and the potential of remote postoperative care. Both matter for high-volume services and for anywhere patients travel long distances for surgery, which describes much of cataract practice in South Asia.
- Intracameral antibiotics recommended for endophthalmitis prevention
- Toric IOLs for corneal astigmatism of 1.0 dioptre or more
- Femtosecond laser-assisted and conventional surgery comparably safe and effective
- Covers immediate sequential bilateral surgery and remote postoperative care
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