Medical Societies Issue Advisory to Cataract Patients Taking Alpha-Blockers

The ASCRS and the AAO issued a new joint patient advisory on tamsulosin (Flomax; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, CT) and other alpha-blockers. Tamsulosin is an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker indicated for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In addition to causing surgical complications due to intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS),¹ those taking tamsulosin are at a 2.3 times higher risk of severe postoperative complications such as retinal detachment and lost lens fragments.²

The two ophthalmic organizations advise patients to report any history of alpha-blocker use to their ophthalmologist and to be aware that these drugs may make eye surgery more difficult. However, the advisory also attempts to reassure patients that, if their ophthalmologist knows about their alpha-blocker history, the success rate of cataract surgery is still excellent and they need not otherwise delay or avoid recommended cataract surgery.