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

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

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

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

72

Phase

  • 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

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
Intervention / Treatment
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

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

Damascus University

Investigators

  • 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)

May 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 6, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

February 2, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 4, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 4, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID 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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