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Trabeculectomy shows high rate of success over a 20-year period
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PARIS — A retrospective analysis of a large cohort of patients who had undergone trabeculectomy over a 20-year period indicated that the procedure performs well in the long term, remaining effective without topical medications in almost 60% of the patients, according to a poster presented at the World Glaucoma Congress.
A total of 234 patients (330 procedures) who had undergone trabeculectomy surgery at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, U.K., between January 1988 and December 1990 were identified as having fully documented records of surgery and follow-up. Case notes were examined to determine the success of trabeculectomy surgery and, if applicable, the point at which it was no longer successful.
“This study indicated that trabeculectomy survival at 20 years may be almost 60% with no topical medications and almost 90% with additional topical medications. Trabeculectomy surgery is therefore a long-term solution to intraocular pressure control,” according to John Landers, MD, and colleagues.
Fifteen percent of eyes became blind, with an incidence of 0.8% per year over the 20-year follow-up period. Pseudoexfoliative glaucoma, aphakia, use of two or more topical medications, and advanced visual field loss at the time of surgery were risk factors for trabeculectomy failure and blindness, the study found.
- Disclosure: Dr. Landers and colleagues have no relevant financial disclosures.