Importance: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ab interno trabeculotomy (AIT) (trabecular ablation) with the trabectome in patients with uveitic glaucoma.
Background: Traditional glaucoma filtration surgeries in the uveitic patient population come with a higher risk of complications such as failure and hypotony.
Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.
Participants: All patients diagnosed with uveitic glaucoma were included in this study. Patients were excluded if they have less than 12 months of follow-up.
Methods: All patients who received AIT alone or combined with phacoemulsification.
Main outcome measures: Major outcomes include intraocular pressure (IOP), number of glaucoma medications and secondary glaucoma surgery, if any. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and success was defined as IOP ≤21 mmHg, at least 20% IOP reduction from baseline for any two consecutive visits after 3 months, no additional glaucoma medications, and no secondary glaucoma surgery.
Results: A total of 45 eyes, 45 patients, with an average age of 52 years were included in the study. The majority were Japanese (40%) and underwent AIT alone (71%). IOP was reduced from 29.2 ± 8.0 to 16.7 ± 4.6 mmHg at 12 months (P < .01*), while the number of glaucoma medications was reduced from 4.0 ± 1.0 to 2.5 ± 1.6 (P < .01*). Survival rate at 12 months was 91%. Six cases required secondary glaucoma surgery and no other serious complication were reported.
Conclusions and relevance: The trabectome AIT procedure appears to be effective in reducing IOP in uveitic glaucoma patients. Although no statistically significant difference was found in the number of glaucoma medications, a decreasing trend was found.
Keywords: ab interno trabeculotomy; glaucoma treatment; trabectome; uveitis.
© 2019 The Authors. Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.