Intracameral phenylephrine: the answer to floppy iris syndrome?

Intracameral phenylephrine is a straightforward and effective way to prevent the effects of floppy iris syndrome in patients taking systemic tamsulosin and undergoing cataract surgery, according to a study published in the March issue of Eye.

Avinash Gurbaxani and Richard Packard from the King Edward VII Hospital, Berkshire, UK, examined seven patients who were receiving systemic tamsulosin for benign prostatic hypertrophy. Each subject was given intracameral phenylephrine before capsulorhexis during cataract surgery.

The authors observed that there was a significant reduction in the mobility of the iris, reduction in the expected fluttering and sustained papillary dilation.

The results of this study suggest that intracameral phenylephrine can be a useful tool for preventing the effects of floppy iris syndrome in patients receiving systemic tamsulosin while undergoing cataract surgery.