The Results of Preoperative Use of Topical Brimonidine in Strabismus Surgery.

In this study, we wanted to retrospectively evaluate the effect of the use of topical brimonidine on intraoperative bleeding and surgical hemostasis before strabismus surgery. Brimonidine tartrate 0.15% (Brimogut, Bilim Ilac, Turkey) eye drops were applied 6 and 3 min before surgery to 44 eyes of 22 patients in group 1 for vasoconstriction. Drops were not applied to 46 eyes of 23 patients in group 2. Preoperative and postoperative photographs and video images were taken. Black-and-white images were used to define the surface areas of the blood vessels. The surface area was calculated by counting the black pixels with ImageJ software. In group 1, redness of eye was observed, on average, at preoperative 339.25 ± 11.52 pixels and intraoperative 247.93 ± 10.63 pixels ( < 0.001). But there was no change in group 2 (preoperative 338.87 ± 8.45 pixels to intraoperative 339.71 ± 9.52 pixels,  > 0.05). The incidence of intraoperative bleeding evaluated by the number of eyes on which cautery was used shows that it was significantly less in group 1 than in group 2 ( < 0.001). The use of topical brimonidine before strabismus surgery facilitates clear monitoring of anatomical structures during surgery by effectively controlling hemorrhage. In the postoperative period, it significantly reduces subconjunctival hemorrhage.