July 08, 2014
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Combined phaco-canaloplasty outperforms phaco alone in eyes with OAG

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Canaloplasty combined with phacoemulsification reduced medication use and IOP more than phacoemulsification alone in patients with open-angle glaucoma, according to study findings.

The retrospective study included 37 patients who underwent phacoemulsification alone and 32 patients who underwent phacoemulsification in combination with canaloplasty. Mean patient age was 74.7 years in the phacoemulsification only group and 76.1 years in the combined phacoemulsification-canaloplasty group.

Surgical failure was defined as IOP greater than 21 mm Hg or an IOP reduction of less than 20%, subsequent glaucoma surgery and loss of light perception vision. Mean follow-up was 21.8 months in the phacoemulsification only group and 18.8 months in the combined surgery group.

Mean preoperative logMAR visual acuity was 0.5 in both groups. Mean preoperative IOP was 16.2 mm Hg in the phacoemulsification group and 18.2 in the combined phacoemulsification-canaloplasty group. Mean preoperative number of medications was 1.4 in the phacoemulsification group and 1.3 in the combined surgery group.

At 24 months, mean postoperative logMAR visual acuity was 0.2 in the phacoemulsification group and 0.4 in the combined surgery group; the between-group difference was statistically insignificant, according to the researchers. The difference between mean IOP at 24 months in the two groups was also insignificant, at 14.1 mm Hg in the phacoemulsification group and 12.9 mm Hg in the combined surgery group.

The combined surgery group had significantly lower IOP at 3 and 12 months but not at 6, 18 or 24 months.

Mean number of medications at 24 months was 1.5 in the phacoemulsification group and 0.3 in the combined surgery group; the difference was statistically significant, according to the researchers (P = .005).

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of all authors’ relevant financial disclosures.