Critical appraisal of loteprednol ointment, gel, and suspension in the treatment of postoperative inflammation and pain following ocular and corneal transplant surgery

Abstract

Amir Pirouzian,1,2 E Randy Craven1,21Department of Ophthalmology, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USAPurpose: To review comprehensively the available peer-reviewed published articles in the literature on loteprednol suspension, gel, and ointment in the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following ocular surgery.Methods: We conducted a PubMed literature search review of all published articles on keywords associated with loteprednol etabonate and ocular surgery.Results: A total of 59 peer-reviewed articles were found in the literature. The focus of the majority of the articles was on the safety and efficacy of loteprednol etabonate 0.5% in post-operative control of inflammation and pain following cataract surgery. There were only three articles with a remote association between loteprednol etabonate and keratoplasty.Conclusion: Lotemax® ointment may also have potential as a first-line anti-inflammatory agent of choice in postoperative settings of strabismus and penetrating glaucoma, and following low-risk penetrating keratoplasty procedures.Keywords: loteprednol, inflammation, pain, keratoplasty, surgery, eye