Vitrectomy with glaucoma tube shunt lowers IOP in pediatric aphakic glaucoma patients

Issue: February 10, 2017

Vitrectomy combined with the placement of a glaucoma tube shunt in pediatric patients with aphakic glaucoma lowered IOP and the number of glaucoma medications needed, according to a study.

Researchers conducted a retrospective review of 14 pediatric patients, aged 7 months to 18 years, who underwent concomitant vitrectomy and posterior glaucoma tube shunt placement for uncontrolled aphakic glaucoma. Ten patients had congenital cataract, two had traumatic cataract, one had Peters’ anomaly, and one had microphthalmia with cataract. Before surgery, mean IOP was 33.9 ± 10.9 mm Hg with a mean of 3.4 medications.

Both the mean IOP and number of glaucoma medications were significantly reduced in the patient cohort at 1 year postoperatively. Medications decreased from an average of 3.4 preoperatively to 2.1 postoperatively at 1 year. Mean IOP decreased by an average of 51% to 16.6 ± 5.8 mm Hg at 1 year postoperatively.

“Despite its small cohort, this study supports the contention that glaucoma tube shunts with concurrent vitrectomy can successfully control IOP in the majority of patients,” the study authors wrote. — by Robert Linnehan

Disclosure: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.

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Source:

Elshatory YM, et al. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2016;doi:10.3928/01913913-20160818-01.