To determine the effectiveness of the method for preventing corneal opacity and minimizing the intraocular pressure (IOP) increase after photorefractive keratectomy treated with 0.1% fluorometholone and tranilast (0.5% tranilast, Krix®, JW pharmaceutical, Seoul, Korea), especially in cases with elevated IOP.

The patients who underwent photorefractive keratectomy from May 2014 to May 2015 were enrolled in the present study. The data of 49 patients (49 eyes) with elevated IOP at 1 month postoperatively and who used 0.1% fluorometholone and tranilast eye drops (tranilast group) were analyzed and compared with the control group consisting of patients who underwent the same surgery from December 2012 to October 2013 but used only 0.1% fluorometholone.

The visual acuity at postoperative 6 months was log MAR -0.08 ± 0.05 and log MAR -0.08 ± 0.04 in the tranilast group and control group, respectively. The eye drops were used postoperatively for 17.7 ± 3.3 weeks in the tranilast group and for 20.5 ± 3.7 weeks in the control group ( p < 0.01). Anti-glaucoma eye drops were used for 18.4 ± 3.2 weeks and 20.9 ± 3.7 weeks postoperatively in the tranilast group and control group, respectively ( p < 0.01).

Adding tranilast eye drops to patients whose IOP was elevated because of 0.1% fluorometholone use after photorefractive keratectomy is an effective method for preventing corneal haze and minimizing IOP elevation.