To investigate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal dexamethasone implant for controlling postoperative inflammation among uveitis patients undergoing cataract extraction.

Ten eyes with noninfectious uveitis underwent phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation followed by intravitreal injection of 0.7-mg dexamethasone implant (implant group) between February 2011 and January 2014. Twenty age- and gender-matched controls who received cataract surgery without implantation during the same period were recruited (non-implant group). Medical records of the subjects were retrospectively reviewed and 6-month postoperative clinical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups.

The mean age was 42.30 ± 15.81 years in the implant group and 45.65 ± 13.63 years in the non-implant group. The 2 groups were similar in terms of age, gender, preoperative inflammatory status, and preoperative visual acuity ( p = 0.552, 1.000, 0.133 and 0.767, respectively). After surgery, oral steroid was used in the non-implant group (8.8 ± 1.5 mg/day on average) and the implant group (3.5 ± 1.3 mg/day; p = 0.029). Visual acuity (log MAR) improved significantly in both groups ( p = 0.789) with no significant difference between the 2 groups. Postoperative recurrence rates of uveitis were reduced more (40%) in the implant group than in the non-implant group (50%) but without significance ( p = 0.709). Elevated intraocular pressure ≥25 mm Hg occurred in 3 eyes (30%) in the implant group and 4 eyes (20%) in the non-implant group ( p = 0.657), of which 1 in each group required a filtering surgery. Otherwise, no significant complications developed in either group.

Intravitreal dexamethasone implants help reduce conventional oral steroid dosage for controlling postoperative inflammation. Dexamethasone implants could be an effective and safe alternative to control the inflammation after cataract surgery in uveitis patients.