Effect Of Complications Of Trabeculectomy On The Control Of Intraocular Pressure In Patients With Chronic Open Angle Glaucoma

Abstract

This is a retrospective study aimed at reviewing the effect of complications of trabeculectomy on the control of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with chronic open angle glaucoma. Seventy eyes of 39 patients who had trabeculectomy for chronic open angle glaucoma and who were coming for follow up till one year after surgery were examined and ascertained to meet the study criteria. A prepared questionnaire was administered to all these patients and information abstracted from case note about the age at presentation, sex, preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressure, visual acuity, visual field score and complications of surgery were recorded. The data obtained were analyzed using the personal computer IBM AT model. Data were presented in figures and tables. The study showed that the highest proportion of patients was operated in the sixth decade. Most eyes maintained their preoperative visual acuity and visual field while some eyes had their original visual acuity or a line less. In this study, 58 eyes (82.9%) had surgery after at least 3 months of medical therapy. The complications included hypotony (68.6%), shallow anterior chamber (37.1%), hyphaema (10.0%), uveitis (5.75%), cataract (5.7%), endophthalmitis (4.3%) and button holed conjunctiva (1.4%). Although 55 (78.6%) eyes had one early complication or the other, there were few long-term problems that could endanger the control of intraocular pressure. The most severe complication in terms of visual loss was endophthalmitis. The above findings suggest that trabeculectomy is relatively safe and effective in terms of intraocular pressure control and therefore, should be considered as the first time line of treatment for chronic open angle glaucoma.

Keywords: Trabeculectomy, chronic open angle glaucoma, complications, Intraocular pressure

Annals of Biomedical Science Vol. 4 (1) 2005: pp. 16-25