Effect of Homatropine eye drops on pain after photorefractive keratectomy: A pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of homatropine eye drops on pain after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).


METHODS
This randomized, double masked, interventional study included 15 patients (30 eyes) who underwent bilateral PRK. After operation, patients received homatropine eye drops, 4 times daily in only one eye (homatropine eye). The level of pain was evaluated using visual analogue scale (VAS), verbal rating scale (VRS) and pain rating index (PRI) at 0.5, 24 and 48 h after operation.


RESULTS
The level of pain was statistically similar between the two eyes half an hour after operation, however, homatropine eyes had significantly less pain 24 h after operation compared to fellow eyes (2.5 ± 1.9 vs 5.3 ± 2.5, P = 0.004 for VAS, 2.0 ± 1.2 vs 3.2 ± 0.9, P = 0.023 for VRS, and 9.4 ± 5.7 vs 16.0 ± 9.0, P = 0.031 for PRI). Also, 48 h after surgery, the pain scales were less in the homatropine eyes (2.3 ± 1.7 vs 4.0 ± 2.1, P = 0.014 for VAS, 1.6 ± 1.0 vs 2.5 ± 1.0, P = 0.038 for VRS, and 6.8 ± 5.7 vs 12.0 ± 8.9, P = 0.005 for PRI). No delayed epithelial healing was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Homatropine eye drops may be useful for reducing pain after Photorefractive keratectomy.
Eye Research Center and Eye Department, Rassoul Akram Hospital, Sattarkhan-Niaiesh St., Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mahmoud
M
Joshaghani
Hossein
H
Nazari
Khalil
K
Ghasemi Falavarjani
Siamak
S
Shokrollahi
Mohammad
M
Jafar Ghaempanah
Kaveh
K
Abri Aghdam
Zahra
Z
Mirbolouk Jalali
Mydriatics; Pain; Photorefractive keratectomy