Comparing the effects of travoprost and brinzolamide on intraocular pressure after phacoemulsification

Purpose: To evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effect of travoprost and brinzolamide within the first 24h after phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Methods: This prospective, randomized, double-masked, controlled study comprised 90 eyes of 90 consecutive patients with senile cataract who had uneventful phacoemulsification surgery. Eyes in the first group received travoprost 0.0015%, second group received brinzolamide 1%. Eyes in the third group received balanced salt solution and were used as control. One drop was instilled immediately after surgery. IOP was measured 24h preoperatively, 6 and 24 h postoperatively. Analysis of variance, Student's-t and χ²-tests were used for statistical analyses. Results: Preoperatively IOP was not significantly different among the three groups (P = 0.653). At 6 and 24 h postoperatively IOP was lower in both travoprost and brinzolamide group when compared to control group (P = 0.018 and 0.015 at 6 h, P = 0.010 and 0.012 at 24h, respectively). The difference between travoprost and brinzolamide group was not significant (P=0.859 at 6h and P = 0.581 at 24 h). Both travoprost and brinzolamide significantly reduced IOP increases when compared to control eyes at 6 and 24 h (P = 0.036 and 0.029 at 6 h, P = 0.010 and 0.007 at 24h, respectively). The difference in IOP increase at 6 and 24 h between travoprost and brinzolamide group was not significant (P = 0.744 at 6 h and P = 0.672 at 24 h). Conclusion: Both travoprost and brinzolamide significantly lowered IOP after small incision phacoemulsification cataract surgery within the first 24 h without any side effect.