SACRAMENTO, Aug 22 , 2006 /PRNEWSWIRE/ Patients who are using Flomax
for treatment of prostate enlargement and are considering Refractive
Lens Exchange – an alternative to Lasik laser eye surgery – need
to notify their eye doctor they are taking or have taken the drug,
according to the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance
(USAEyes), a nonprofit patient advocacy.
“Our advisory relates directly to a recent joint statement from
the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS),
the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Urological
Association (AUA) that raises concerns for cataract patients,” says
Glenn Hagele, Executive Director of USAEyes. “Refractive
Lens Exchange is exactly the same as cataract surgery and the same
concerns apply. The only difference between the surgeries is the
reason for the surgery.”
Cataracts are a gradual clouding of the natural lens of the eye,
commonly associated with aging. Refractive Lens Exchange is an alternative
to Lasik, the popular laser eye surgery to reduce the need for corrective
lenses. Refractive Lens Exchange may be recommended for patients
at or past middle age or who have extremely poor vision. “Like cataract
surgery, Refractive Lens Exchange removes the natural lens within
the eye and replaces it with an artificial lens that reduces or
eliminates the need for glasses and contacts.”
According to the ASCRS, AAO, AUA joint statement, “Tamsulosin
(Flomax(R)) is the most commonly prescribed drug for prostate enlargement,
or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). By facilitating more complete
emptying of the bladder, Flomax decreases the need to urinate during
the middle of the night. However, Flomax and other similar systemic
drugs called alpha-blockers can potentially cause difficulty during
cataract surgery, particularly if the eye surgeon has not been forewarned.
Other drugs in this alpha-blocker class include, terazosin (Hytrin(R)),
doxazosin (Cardura(R)), and alfuzosin (Uroxatral(R)).”
A study published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive
Surgery identified a potential problem that occurs during cataract/Refractive
Lens Exchange surgery in patients using Flomax. Eye drops administered
during cataract/Refractive Lens Exchange surgery constrict the iris
(colored portion of eye) to enlarge the pupil. The study indicates
that the combination of certain alpha-blocker drugs used for prostrate
treatment and drops used to enlarge the pupil can cause irregular
iris behavior during surgery. This irregular behavior is termed
Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS). If notified of the use
of alpha-blocker medication in advance, the eye surgeon can limit
this irregularity without adverse effect on the patient.
“Because cataract surgery and Refractive Lens Exchange are essentially
the same surgery but for different purposes, patients considering
Refractive Lens Exchange as well as cataract surgery need to be
especially diligent about notifying their eye doctor of the use
of these prostate medications,” advises Hagele.
The Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance is a nonprofit
nongovernmental patient advocacy organization that evaluates and
certifies doctors who perform surgery to reduce the need for corrective
lenses.
CONTACT: Glenn Hagele, Council for Refractive Surgery Quality
Assurance, 800/872-3937, glenn.hagele@USAEyes.org,
http://www.usaeyes.org
