Flomax Risks

Description

Dr. Emilio Justo discusses Flomax risks and cataract surgery. Medications like Flomax can cause intraocular floppy iris syndrome, which can increase risks during cataract surgery. However, with the use of an iris expansion ring, Dr. Justo can minimize those risks and make the surgery as safe for Flomax patients as anyone else.

[00:00:07.360] I'm going to talk to you a little bit about Flomax, [00:00:10.600] which many of you who are men out there are quite familiar with, [00:00:14.360] the generic term as tamsulosin. [00:00:17.000] There's a whole laundry list of similar medications [00:00:20.760] that are used for prostate enlargement [00:00:23.720] or for men who have to pee in the middle of the night [00:00:28.120] with a sense of urgency. [00:00:29.880] It's important to understand that these medications [00:00:32.800] do impact cataract surgery. [00:00:35.600] It's a well-known fact that these types of medications [00:00:39.840] may cause what is called IFIS, I-F-I-S, [00:00:43.240] intraocular floppy iris syndrome, [00:00:46.880] and this is a syndrome whereby in the middle of cataract surgery, [00:00:50.360] the iris, the colored part of the eye that is dilated for the surgery, [00:00:55.480] can become floppy, [00:00:56.720] and in the middle of the surgery, the pupil can constrict very quickly, [00:01:01.000] and then it can make the surgery quite challenging [00:01:04.000] and increase potential risks of complications. [00:01:07.720] But not to worry, there is a solution to this. [00:01:10.880] The solution is that I typically use [00:01:14.600] what I refer to as an iris expansion ring, [00:01:18.240] and this is a little mechanical ring in a spring device [00:01:22.000] that is gently injected into the eye at the beginning of the case, [00:01:26.080] and it mechanically holds the pupil or the iris open during the surgery. [00:01:31.800] By doing so, [00:01:33.320] it eliminates the ability for the iris to constrict [00:01:38.240] or the pupil to constrict, [00:01:39.880] hence making the surgery just as relatively easy [00:01:43.960] as it would be in a non-Flomax patient. [00:01:47.080] So I routinely use this and nowadays because… [00:01:50.760] Flomax and Tamsulosin and other such medications [00:01:53.600] are so commonplace [00:01:55.360] that we use this in a significant minority of our male cataract surgery patients. [00:02:00.880] At the end of the case, once the cataract has been removed [00:02:03.600] and the implant has put in, that ring is then collapsed. [00:02:08.000] It just collapses very easily. [00:02:10.280] You slip it right out and the pupil is back to its original state. [00:02:14.640] We're here to educate you and to understand [00:02:17.400] what differences there may be with your cataract surgery [00:02:21.080] versus someone else's cataract surgery. [00:02:23.840] But please know that even though you're on Flomax, [00:02:27.120] we'll take great care of you and I look forward to seeing you soon.