Macular Edema and Intraocular Pressure Outcomes Following Periocular versus Topical Corticosteroids After Phacoemulsification: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The authors aimed to compare the efficacy of periocular versus topical corticosteroids in managing postoperative inflammation, specifically looking at the incidence of pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME) and intraocular pressure (IOP) following phacoemulsification. Their systematic review and meta-analysis of ten studies involving over 57,000 eyes found no significant differences in PCME incidence, postoperative IOP, or best-corrected visual acuity between the two treatment methods. The authors caution that the findings should be interpreted with care due to heterogeneity and low certainty in the evidence.