A Study Comparing Sub-Tenon Steroid Injection Versus Eye Drops for Reducing Postoperative Inflammation After Cataract Surgery

May 4, 2026 updated by: Sameh Issa, Damascus University

Study Of The Safety And Efficacy Of Intraoperative Subtenon Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection Versus Topical Prednisolone Acetate 1% In Reducing Postoprerative Inflammation After Phacoemulsification

After cataract surgery, postoperative inflammation is commonly treated with corticosteroid eye drops such as prednisolone acetate 1%. However, frequent dosing may reduce patient compliance. This study compares topical corticosteroid drops with a single sub-Tenon's injection of triamcinolone acetonide in controlling postoperative inflammation after uncomplicated cataract surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Background: Postoperative ocular inflammation is a common physiological response following cataract surgery; however, excessive inflammation may compromise visual outcomes. Topical corticosteroids, particularly prednisolone acetate 1%, remain the standard treatment, but their use is limited by poor patient compliance and the need for frequent dosing. Sub-Tenon's corticosteroid injection offers a potential alternative with a prolonged anti-inflammatory effect.

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of a single sub-Tenon's injection of triamcinolone acetonide versus topical prednisolone acetate 1% in controlling postoperative inflammation after uncomplicated cataract surgery.

Methods: This prospective, randomized, interventional comparative study included 72 patients undergoing phacoemulsification surgery. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups: Group 1 received topical prednisolone acetate 1% according to a tapering regimen, while Group 2 received a single sub-Tenon's injection of triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg/mL).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
72

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Syria
      • Damascus, Syria
        • University of Damascus, Faculty of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients eligible for senile cataract surgery meeting the following conditions:

Best-corrected visual acuity less than or equal to 0.5. Nuclear sclerosis grades NC1, NC2, NC3, or NC4 according to LOCS III, regardless of the grade of cortical or posterior subcapsular cataract.

Age 50 years and older.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients with non-age-related cataracts (congenital, infantile, or drug-induced).

Patients with a history of previous intraocular surgery. Patients with any form of glaucoma. Patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome. Patients with diabetes mellitus. Patients with uveitis. Patients scheduled for concurrent intraocular surgery at the time of cataract extraction (e.g., trabeculectomy or vitrectomy).

Patients using long-term topical ocular medications. Patients with only one functional eye. Patients with poor pupil dilation, defined as a pupil diameter of 5.5 mm or less, those requiring iris dilators, or those who experienced iris trauma during surgery.

Effective phacoemulsification time (EPT) exceeding 2 minutes. Patients who were non-compliant with follow-up visits. Patients who developed postoperative complications unrelated to the study treatment (such as endophthalmitis or intraocular lens dislocation).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intraoperative Subtenon Triamcinolone Acetonide
Drug: Triamcinolone acetonide injection
Patients in this group received an intraoperative subtenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide at the end of phacoemulsification surgery. The injection was administered to reduce postoperative inflammation.
Active Comparator: Topical Prednisolone Acetate 1%
Drug: prednisolone acetate 1%
Patients in this group received topical prednisolone acetate 1% eye drops postoperatively according to the standard regimen to control inflammation after phacoemulsification surgery.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Degree of postoperative ocular inflammation assessed by slit-lamp examination (cells and flare grading) after phacoemulsification surgery.
Time Frame: 1day, 1week, 2week, 1month
1day, 1week, 2week, 1month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Damascus University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: sameh Kh issa, professor, University of Damascus, Faculty of Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 6, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 2, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 4, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Damascus-Ophth.

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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