From the desk of
Russ Quiring, O.D.
November 16, 2007

The Medication Flomax and Cataract Surgery

One of my patients recently had cataract surgery and the surgeon told me he had to retract the iris for the procedure because my patient was dilated poorly. My patient had a very nice result and his iris was not damaged during the procedure.

Remembering that my patient was on Flomax for increasing urine flow through an enlarged prostate, I decided to do some research. Sure enough, two years ago this was reported in the literature.

It is unclear if stopping the medication prior to your surgery will benefit your cataract surgery and result in a better pupillary dilation. Pupillary dilation is important during cataract surgery because the lens implant must be maneuvered through the pupil because it is placed behind the iris.

Follow this link to a full press release about this subject from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

The Bottom Line: If you are on Flomax and are about to undergo cataract surgery, be sure to let your surgeon know so that he/she can plan for dealing with the complication of a poor dilation. ~RQ