Postoperative Complications in the Ahmed Baerveldt Comparison Study During Five Years of Follow-up

To compare the late complications in the Ahmed Baerveldt Comparison Study during 5 years of follow-up

Episcleral Venous Fluid Wave Correlates with Trabectome Outcomes: Intraoperative Evaluation of the Trabecular Outflow Pathway

To determine whether the characteristics of an intraoperative episcleral venous fluid wave (EVFW), a potential indicator of trabecular outflow patency, correlates with Trabectome (NeoMedix Corp, Tustin, CA) outcomes. Retrospective, observational study. A total of 68 eyes of 49 patients with glaucoma who underwent phaco-Trabectome (63 eyes) or Trabectome alone (5 eyes). The EVFW was evaluated in a masked fashion for wave degree (0-4) and clock hours (0-6). A diffuse EVFW (4, 5, 6 clock hours) was a near complete blanching of the episcleral vasculature, and a poorly defined wave was minimal change in the vasculature. Patients were grouped into wave categories to determine whether there was a correlation with postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP). Patients requiring further glaucoma surgery were considered failures. Degree and extent of EVFW, IOP, and glaucoma medications. For all eyes, there was a statistically significant correlation between wave clock hours and postoperative IOP at month 1 (P = 0.043) and month 3 (P = 0.002), but not a statistically significant correlation at month 6 (P = 0.12) or 1 year (P = 0.86). A strong correlation was found among IOP, medications, and EVFW in eyes with an extensive EVFW when compared with eyes with a poorly defined EVFW. At 12 months, the mean IOP in the extensive EVFW group was 13.3±2.7 mmHg on 1.4±1.2 medications compared with an IOP of 18.4±3.1 mmHg on 2.9±0.9 medications in the poorly defined group (both P = 0.001). Overall, 5 of 68 eyes (7%), required further glaucoma surgery. Eyes with a poorly defined EVFW had a higher likelihood of further glaucoma surgery (36%). The EVFW is an intraoperative gauge of patency through the trabecular outflow pathway. Absence of the EVFW implies obstruction in the collector channel-intrascleral aqueous outflow pathway, preventing flow to the visible episcleral veins. In contrast, eyes with a diffuse EVFW had sufficient flow through their collector channels, had a lower IOP, required fewer glaucoma medications, and had a lower requirement for further glaucoma surgery. The characteristics of an EFVW may be able to predict surgical outcomes after Trabectome surgery

Gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy, ab interno trabeculotomy: technique report and preliminary results

To introduce a minimally invasive, ab interno approach to a circumferential 360-degree trabeculotomy and to report the preliminary results. Retrospective, noncomparative cases series. Eighty-five eyes of 85 consecutive patients who sought treatment at Glaucoma Associates of Texas with uncontrolled open-angle glaucoma and underwent gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) for whom there was at least 6 months of follow-up data. Retrospective chart review of patients who underwent GATT by 4 of the authors (D.S.G., D.G.G., O.S., R.L.F.) between October 2011 and October 2012. The surgery was performed in adults with various open-angle glaucomas. Intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma medications, visual acuity, and intraoperative as well as postoperative complications. Eighty-five patients with an age range of 24 to 88 years underwent GATT with at least 6 months of follow-up. In 57 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, the IOP decreased by 7.7 mmHg (standard deviation [SD], 6.2 mm Hg; 30.0% [SD, 22.7%]) with an average decrease in glaucoma medications of 0.9 (SD, 1.3) at 6 months. In this group, the IOP decreased by 11.1 mmHg (SD, 6.1 mmHg; 39.8% [SD, 16.0%]) with 1.1 fewer glaucoma medications at 12 months. In the secondary glaucoma group of 28 patients, IOP decreased by 17.2 mmHg (SD, 10.8 mmHg; 52.7% [SD, 15.8%]) with an average of 2.2 fewer glaucoma medications at 6 months. In this group, the IOP decreased by 19.9 mmHg (SD, 10.2 mmHg; 56.8% [SD, 17.4%]) with an average of 1.9 fewer medications (SD, 2.1) at 12 months. Treatment was considered to have failed in 9% (8/85) of patients because of the need for further glaucoma surgery. The cumulative proportion of failure at 1 year ranged from 0.1 to 0.32, depending on the group. Lens status or concurrent cataract surgery did not have a statistically significant effect on IOP in eyes that underwent GATT at either 6 or 12 months (P > 0.35). The most common complication was transient hyphema, seen in 30% of patients at the 1-week visit. The preliminary results and safety profile for GATT, a minimally invasive circumferential trabeculotomy, are promising and at least equivalent to previously published results for ab externo trabeculotomy

Gonioscopy assisted transluminal trabeculotomy: an ab interno circumferential trabeculotomy for the treatment of primary congenital glaucoma and juvenile open angle glaucoma

Background/aimsTo introduce a novel ab interno 360° trabeculotomy for treating primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) and juvenile open angle glaucoma (JOAG) and report preliminary results.MethodsA retrospective chart review of patients who underwent a gonioscopy assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) procedure by four of the authors (DSG, OS, RLF and DGG) between October 2011 and October 2013. The surgery was performed in patients ≤30 years old with a dysgenic anterior segment angle and uncontrolled PCG and JOAG.ResultsFourteen eyes of 10 patients underwent GATT with follow-up >12 months (12–33 months; mean 20.4). Patients ranged in age from 17 months to 30 years (mean=18.4 years), and five (50%) were female patients. No complications occurred during or following surgery except for early postoperative hyphema in five (36%) of eyes, all cleared by 1 month. The mean intraocular pressure (IOP) decreased from 27.3 to 14.8 mm Hg and the mean number of medications required decreased from 2.6 to 0.86. Five eyes had a drop in IOP ≥15 mm Hg (range 15–39).ConclusionsThe preliminary results and safety for GATT, a minimally invasive conjunctival sparing circumferential trabeculotomy, are promising and at least equivalent to previous results for ab externo trabeculotomy for the treatment of PCG and JOAG. All eyes in the study were considered a clinical success

Vision-Targeted Health-Related Quality-of-Life Survey for Evaluating Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery.

PurposeTo develop a vision-targeted health-related quality-of-life instrument for patients with glaucoma who are candidates for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).DesignDevelopment of a health-related quality-of-life instrument.ParticipantsTwelve practicing ophthalmologists and 41 glaucoma patients.MethodsA questionnaire was constructed to assess functional limitations, vision-related symptoms, aesthetics, psychosocial issues, and surgical satisfaction for MIGS candidates. Questions were drafted after a review of the literature and subsequently refined based upon input from 1 physician and 4 patient focus groups. Nineteen cognitive interviews were used to ensure that questions were understandable to respondents.ResultsThe focus group identified the following key issues and concerns as being important to glaucoma patients: functional limitations (eg, driving), bodily discomfort (eg, stinging from drops), changes in appearance (eg, drooping eyelid), and psychosocial concerns (eg, mental burden associated with a diagnosis of glaucoma, financial burden of treatment). Cognitive interviews resulted in the following improvements to the questionnaire: changes in wording to clarify lighting conditions, and additional questions addressing psychosocial issues, such as job loss, severity of disease, and perception of MIGS.ConclusionsA patient-reported outcomes instrument, the Glaucoma Outcomes Survey, was developed to evaluate MIGS for patients with mild to moderate glaucoma. Next steps include electronic administration to patients selected from the American Academy of Ophthalmology Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS) registry. An electronic patient-reported outcomes platform will be used to administer the questionnaire before and after MIGS. The questionnaire will improve understanding of how surgical interventions such as MIGS impact vision-targeted health-related quality-of-life in glaucoma patients