Prevention of the rise in intraocular pressure following neodymium-YAG posterior capsulotomy using topical 1% apraclonidine

We studied apraclonidine hydrochloride (aplonidine hydrochloride or ALO 2145), an α-agonist, for its effect on the intraocular pressure (IOP) rise following neodymium-YAG posterior capsulotomy (YPC). In a prospective multicentered double-masked study, 63 eyes were pretreated with one drop of either 1% apraclonidine hydrochloride or placebo one hour before performing YPC and again following the laser treatment. The greastest IOP rise in the placebo-treated eyes occurred in the third hour after YPC, when the mean (± SD) IOP rose from a baseline pressure of 16.4 ± 3.7 to 20.8 ± 6.8 mm Hg. In apraclonidine-treated eyes, the IOP fell from a mean of 15.6 ± 3.8 to 12.8 ± 6.0 mm Hg three hours postoperatively. There were five times as many eyes that had an IOP rise greater than 10 mm Hg in the placebo-treated group compared with those treated with apraclonidine. Apraclonidine proved to be highly effective in preventing the rise in IOP following YPC.