PURPOSE:To evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic administration of the topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) Bromfenac 0.09% on acute (within 4 weeks of surgery) cystoids macular edema (CME) and total macular volume (TMV) in patients having phacoemulsification cataract surgery. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, shantiram general hospital, nandyal. METHODS: This open-label nonmasked randomized (random number assignment) study comprised 100 eyes. Exclusion criteria included hypersensitivity to the NSAID drug class, aspirin/NSAID-induced asthma, and pregnancy in the third trimester. Bromfenac 0.09%was administered starting 1 day before surgery and for 28 days after surgery for a total of 30 days. The outcome measure was macular swelling, which was quantified by the optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: At 1 month, there was a statistically significant difference in TMV between the control group (0.4420 mm3) and the Bromfenac 0.09%group (0.2392 mm3), with the Bromfenac 0.09%group having 45.8% less macular swelling (P Z.009). Multiple linear regression with backward selection indicated a 44.3% (P Z.013) and 46.1% (P Z.030) reduction in macular swelling in the Bromfenac 0.09% group at 1 week and 1 month, respectively. CONCLUSION: Used prophylactically after cataract surgery, Bromfenac 0.09% was efficacious in decreasing postoperative macular edema.