Effects of topical suprofen and flurbiprofen on the miosis produced by anterior chamber irrigation with cholinergic agonists

Pretreatment with topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is common practice to maintain maximal pupil dilation for cataract surgery. Most surgeons also inject a cholinergic agent intracamerally for miosis after intraocular lens insertion. We evaluated the effects of topical suprofen and flurbiprofen on the miosis induced by anterior chamber irrigation with either acetylcholine or carbachol. One eye of 30 pigmented rabbits was dilated with cyclopentolate HCl and phenylephrine HCl. Three groups, each composed of ten eyes, received flurbiprofen, suprofen, or a control. In each group, five eyes received acetylcholine by anterior chamber irrigation and five received carbachol. Pupil diameters were measured with calipers before and five minutes after irrigation by an observer unaware of the treatment regimen. Irides irrigated with carbachol constricted less than those irrigated with acetylcholine (P = .016). In anterior chambers irrigated with carbachol, suprofen was associated with less miosis than either tears (P = .005) or flurbiprofen (P = .009); however, if the infusion was performed with acetylcholine, no differences between the three groups were noted (P = .44).