The Effectiveness and Safety of Dextenza 0.4 mg for the Treatment of Postoperative Inflammation and Pain in Patients After Photorefractive Keratectomy: The RESTORE Trial.

Purpose To determine patient preference and treatment outcomes with an intracanalicular dexamethasone 0.4 mg insert compared to a standard steroid drop regimen in the contralateral eye following bilateral photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Methods In this randomized, prospective, self-controlled, open-label interventional study, one eye received the dexamethasone insert and the second eye received prednisolone acetate 1% taper following bilateral PRK surgery. Postoperative evaluations were performed on day 3, day 4, month 1, and month 3. Phone call surveys were performed on week 2. The Comparison of Ophthalmic Medications for Tolerability questionnaire was used to determine patient preference between postoperative regimens and postoperative pain. Corneal endpoints included time to epithelialization, presence of corneal haze, sodium fluorescein staining, and modified Standardized Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) scores. Both corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) were assessed. Results Twenty patients participated in the study. At month 3, 70% of patients preferred the dexamethasone insert, 20% preferred prednisolone acetate, and 10% expressed no preference. Patient surveys did not show a difference in postoperative pain between the study group and control group. No statistical difference was shown in time to epithelialization, 90-day CDVA or UDVA, postoperative corneal haze, corneal staining, or modified SPEED scores. Conclusions In patients undergoing PRK, there was preference toward a dexamethasone insert in place of topical prednisolone acetate for the postoperative steroid treatment. There were no statistically or clinically significant differences between the two cohorts in regard to healing time or visual outcomes. [J Refract Surg. 2021;37(9):590-594.].