Frontiers in Pharmacology (Sep 2023)

Intraoperative slow-release dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex) in epiretinal membrane peeling surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial

  • Siying Li,
  • Qiaozhu Zeng,
  • Li Zhu,
  • Wenbo Liu,
  • Yujing Li,
  • Jiarui Li,
  • Xiaoxin Li,
  • Mingwei Zhao,
  • Jinfeng Qu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1219861
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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Purpose: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of the dexamethasone (DEX) intravitreal implant for the regression of macular edema and the improvement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after the removal of idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM).Methods: This prospective randomized controlled trial recruited 81 patients with idiopathic ERM. These patients all underwent 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy combined with ERM and internal limiting membrane peeling surgery. Among them, 41 eyes in the DEX group received additional DEX implants and 40 in the non-DEX group did not. Outcomes including central retinal thickness (CRT), BCVA, and intraocular pressure were measured 1 and 3 months after surgery.Results: The DEX group had thinner CRTs compared to the non-DEX group at 1 month postoperatively (p <0.05), but did not differ significantly at the 1-week and 3-month follow-up visits (p = 0.109 and p = 0.417, respectively). There were no statistical differences with respect to BCVA (p = 0.499, 0.309, 0.246, and 0.517, respectively) and intraocular pressure (p = 0.556, 0.639, 0.741, and 0.517, respectively) between the two groups at each point of follow-up visits.Conclusion: DEX accelerated the reduction of CRT at 1 month after surgery. However, no evidence of further anatomical (CRT) or functional (BCVA) benefits using DEX was observed at 3 months.Clinical Trial Registration:https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT05416827.

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