Advisory: If You Have Taken Flomax(R), Tell Your Ophthalmologist BEFORE Having Cataract Surgery

FAIRFAX, VA and SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Jun 10 (MARKET
WIRE) --
The results of a new study reinforce an advisory that patients taking
Flomax(R) (Tamsulosin) to treat prostate enlargement and urinary problems
should inform their ophthalmologist about their use of this drug before
undergoing eye surgery. The advisory was issued by the American Academy
of Ophthalmology (Academy) and the American Society of Cataract and
Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and updates the advisory the organizations
released in 2006. The new study, published last month in the Journal of
the American Medical Association, found that the alpha-blocker Flomax
increased the risk of certain complications following cataract surgery.

Advice for patients: Men and Women

Patients who take alpha-blockers or are considering taking alpha-blockers
should be aware that the drugs may increase the difficulty of cataract
surgery. While Flomax is largely prescribed to men to treat prostate
enlargement, some women also take the drug to treat urinary retention
problems. Other alpha-blockers are used to treat hypertension.

It is important that patients inform their ophthalmologist whether they
are currently taking alpha-blockers, such as Flomax, or did so in the
past. Once informed, the ophthalmologist can anticipate certain problems
and employ different surgical techniques that help to achieve excellent
outcomes. Patients should not decide on their own to discontinue their
prostate/alpha-blocker drugs without consulting their prescribing
physician.

Before being started on an alpha-blocker medication for the first time,
patients who already have cataracts should understand that these drugs can
complicate cataract surgery later on. For this reason, they may want to
discuss the risks and the timing of their operation with their
ophthalmologist performing cataract surgery.

"There are many factors that a prescribing doctor considers in selecting a
medication to treat prostate enlargement," said David F. Chang, MD, one of
the investigators who first identified the effect that Flomax can have on
cataract surgery. "Cataract surgeons can provide additional counsel about
how Flomax might affect an individual patient's risk for eye surgery, and
whether stopping, delaying, or avoiding the drug is advisable. In
addition, many ophthalmologists believe that other alpha-blockers pose
less surgical difficulty and risk compared to Flomax."

It is also important to reassure patients already taking Flomax that they
have an excellent prognosis for successful cataract surgery, as long as
their ophthalmologist performing eye surgery is forewarned. "Even with
Flomax, the overall risk of serious cataract surgical complications is
very low, and patients needn't otherwise avoid or delay recommended
surgery," Dr. Chang said.

Background

Cataracts and prostate enlargement are very common age-related conditions.
A cataract is a progressive clouding of the lens of the eye and is the
most common age-related cause of worsening vision. Ophthalmologists treat
cataracts by surgically removing the cloudy natural lens and replacing it
with a clear artificial lens implant.

For more information, please see the joint information statement.
Patients seeking to learn more about cataracts and cataract surgery can
find more information here.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest association
of eye physicians and surgeons -- Eye M.D.s -- with more than 27,000
members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three "O's" --
opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist,
or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform
eye surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web
site at www.aao.org.

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery is an
international educational and scientific organization whose 9,100 member
ophthalmologists specialize in cataract and refractive surgery.
www.ascrs.org.

Contacts:
John Ciccone
ASCRS
703.788.5761
jciccone@ASCRS.org

Academy Media Relations
415.561.8534
media@aao.org

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