Dr. Kavanagh first Ophthalmologist in San Antonio to Implant new cataract surgery device Dextenza!

Dextenza Implant

Dr. Kavanagh San Antonio ophthalmologist was the first to implant Dextenza in South Texas, a new steroid delivery system in his cataract surgery patients.

What is a Dextenza Implant?

It is a newly released steroid delivery system to reduce inflammation and pain after cataract surgery. It is inserted into the inferior (lower) punctum into the inferior canniculus by your surgeon at the time of your cataract surgery. This is the same hole that drains tears from your eyes. The delivery system releases steroids into the tearfilm for 30 days, decreasing pain and inflammation after cataract surgery without having to use eyedrops!

This can improve your outcomes after cataract surgery, because your surgeon no longer has to rely on his/her patients to take their steroid drops after surgery. Many studies have measured patient compliance with taking their eye drops and it is usually less than 50%, however well meaning they are. This can save you the patient from taking up to 120 steroid drops in 1 30 day period (4*30)!

How is it implanted?

The implant is placed with forceps in the lower lacrimal punctum (the natural hole to drain tears from the eyes). To ease its placement the punctum in first dilated with a Punctal Dilator. This is a fairly quick and painless procedure which can take less than a minute, either before or after your cataract surgery. This minute procedure can save you putting 120 eye drops in your eye after cataract surgery.

How does it work?

The steroid containing device releases steroid slowly over 30 days, into the tear film, which penetrates the cornea and then into the front chamber (anterior) of the eye. In the anterior chamber of the eye, the steroid decreases inflammation and pain associated with cataract surgery.

Why Dr. Kavanagh and Eye Associates of South Texas

Dr. Kavanagh is a board certified fellowship trained ophthalmologist, and having performed his first cataract surgery over 25 years ago has immense surgical experience. He feels honored being the first San Antonio ophthalmologist to implant the Dextenza device, he knows this will help his patients improve their outcomes after cataract surgery. It will also save a whole lot of squeezing of bottles of medicine. Both saving time and money, while still maintaining excellent outcomes for his cataract patients. Having performed over 20,000 cataracts Dr. Kavanagh feels this is a giant step forward in post operative care for his cataract patients!

Watch Dr. Kavanagh’s educational video on Dextenza Insertion!