A popular medicine taken by men for benign prostatic hyperplasia, commonly known as BPH or an enlarged prostate gland, is associated with increased risk for serious complications after cataract surgery, according to a study published in the May 20, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Flomax (tamsulosin HCl, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals) is a popular prescription medication to treat male urinary symptoms due to BPH. Symptoms include the need to urinate often, waking up several times during the night to go, a weak urinary stream and frequently feeling an urgent need to urinate.
BPH is common among older men: It is estimated that more than 50 percent of men over age 60 and almost all men over age 80 have symptoms of an enlarged prostate. The condition can also affect men in their 40s and 50s.
Tamsulosin HCl, the active ingredient in Flomax, belongs to a category of drugs called alpha blockers. Alpha blockers relax certain muscles and help small blood vessels remain open. In addition to treating BPH, alpha blockers are used to treat high blood pressure.
Researchers in Canada recently conducted a retrospective study of over 96,000 men age 66 years or older who had cataract surgery between 2002 and 2007. Of these patients, 3,550 (3.7 percent) had taken tamsulosin within two weeks of their cataract procedure and 7,426 (7.7 percent) others had taken other alpha blockers within two weeks of surgery.
Adverse events following cataract surgery were significantly more common among patients with recent tamsulosin exposure (7.5 percent) than among controls (2.7 percent) matched for age, surgeon and date of cataract surgery. There was no significant increase in the risk of adverse events following cataract surgery from recent use of other alpha blockers for treatment of BPH or high blood pressure.
Serious cataract surgery complications associated with recent Flomax use include retinal detachment, dislocation of the intraocular lens and endophthalmitis (inflammation of the interior of the eye, usually caused by infection).
Take Home Message: If you are currently taking Flomax for BPH symptoms, be sure to discuss this with your cataract surgeon prior to surgery. He or she may recommend you temporarily discontinue BPH treatment or switch to a different alpha blocker for a period of time before and after your cataract procedure to reduce your risk of medication-related surgical complications.
Source: Association between tamsulosin and serious ophthalmic adverse events in older men following cataract surgery. JAMA. May 20, 2009.