Evaluating The Efficacy Of Rho Kinase Inhibitor Eye Drops In The Management Of Corneal Edema: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

Published 2025 - 43rd Congress of the ESCRS

Reference: PO540 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/58tg-qp14

Authors: Timur M. Yildirim* ¹ , Lusine Vogormian ¹ , Lizaveta Chychko ¹ , Alexandra Negoescu ¹ , Hyeck-Soo Son ¹ , Oliver Hassel ¹ , Ramin Khoramnia ² , Gerd Auffarth ¹

¹Department of,Heidelberg University,Heidelberg,Germany, ²Department of,Heidelberg University,Heidelberg,Germany;Department of,Dresden University,Dresden,Germany

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of ripasudil, a Rho kinase inhibitor, in managing various corneal edema conditions, including postcataract surgery, post-keratoplasty, and Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy.

Setting

This study was conducted at the Ophthalmology Department of Hadassah Medical Center, a tertiary care facility specializing in advanced corneal and anterior segment treatments.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 33 patients (35 eyes) with corneal edema was performed. Conditions included postcataract surgery (31.25%), post-penetrating keratoplasty (25%), post-Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (18.75%), Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (12.5%), and status post-glaucoma surgery (12.5%). Patients were treated with ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate (Glanatec® 0.4%) eye drops, administered three times daily or adjusted based on severity. Efficacy was assessed using pre- and posttreatment measurements of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central corneal thickness (CCT), and endothelial cell count (ECC), alongside slit-lamp and optical coherence tomography examinations.

Results

The average treatment duration was 4.9 ± 2.2 months. Significant improvements were observed in BCVA, improving from 1.106 ± 0.817 logMAR pretreatment to 0.56 ± 0.57 logMAR posttreatment (P = 0.0308). CCT decreased significantly from 619.50 ± 56.36 μm pretreatment to 572.5 ± 75.48 μm posttreatment (P = 0.0479). ECC showed a marginal increase from 849.00 ± 570.72 cells/mm² to 874.75 ± 625.59 cells/mm² (P = 0.9010), which was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Ripasudil demonstrated significant efficacy in improving BCVA and reducing CCT in patients with corneal edema, enhancing their quality of life. This study, conducted at the Hadassah Ophthalmology Department, supports the use of Rho kinase inhibitors as a valuable therapeutic option for managing corneal edema in diverse clinical scenarios.