We report the antiinflammatory effect and efficacy of preoperative treatment with ketorolac in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis having phacoemulsification. This 70-year-old woman was on a maintenance dose of systemic methylprednisolone at the time of uneventful phacoemulsification in the left eye. She developed a sterile hypopyon on the first postoperative day and was treated aggressively with topical and systemic therapy, resulting in a gradual resolution of the inflammatory response. The patient subsequently had phacoemulsification in the right eye. The only significant difference in the preoperative management this time was that the patient received topical ofloxacin and ketorolac 4 days before surgery. The postoperative inflammatory response was much more controlled. The patient was continued on ketorolac and prednisolone acetate, resulting in the usual postoperative inflammatory response.