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102. Jahrestagung der DOG

Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft e. V.

23. bis 26.09.2004, Berlin

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Excimer-laser trabeculostomy, a new minimally invasive glaucoma operation

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author S. Wilmsmeyer - University Eye Hospital Freiburg
  • H. Müller - University Eye Hospital Freiburg
  • N. Feltgen - University Eye Hospital Freiburg
  • J. Funk - University Eye Hospital Freiburg

Evidenzbasierte Medizin - Anspruch und Wirklichkeit. 102. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft. Berlin, 23.-26.09.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2004. Doc04dogSO.02.04

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dog2004/04dog425.shtml

Published: September 22, 2004

© 2004 Wilmsmeyer et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

Text

Objective

Excimer-laser trabeculostomy (ELT) is a new surgical technique to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Our purpose was to examine IOP-reduction in patients treated wit ELT, and to evaluate the number of additional antiglaucoma drugs (AGD) and the safety of this laser treatment .

Methods

To increase the outflow of aqueous humour, on average 10 microperforations of the trabecular meshwork were performed by an endoscope guided photoablative laser probe (Excimer laser, AIDA, TUI-Laser, Munich). In our retrospective pilot study one group of patients received only an ELT, the other group got a combined surgery consisting of ELT + phacoemulsification because of lens opacification. The group with phacoemulsification + ELT was compared to patients with ocular hypertension or glaucoma who were treated with cataract surgery only. IOP, visual acuity and antiglaucoma drugs (AGD) were determined preoperatively (T0) and 2-4 months (T1), 5-7 months (T2), 11-13 months (T3) and 22-26 (T4) months after the surgery.

Results

In the ELT only group the IOP was reduced from 24,1 (n=69) mmHg preoperatively to 18,8 (T1, n=66), 20,0 (T2, n=46), 17,3 (T3, n= 23), 16,5 (T4, n=2) mmHg resp.. The number of AGD was 1,9 (T0), 1,2 (T1), 1,3 (T2), 2,0 (T3), 0,5 (T4). In phacoemulsification + ELT an IOP-reduction from 22,5 mmHg (T0, n=50) to 16,6 (T1, n=47), 16,0 (T2, n=33), 16,5 (T3, n=16),14,0 (T4, n=2) mmHg resp. was observed. The number of AGD was not significantly reduced (1,1 (T0), 0,8 (T1), 1,2 (T2), 1,2 (T3), 1,0 (T4)). IOP decreased from 20,8 (T0) to 18,1 (T2) and 18,3 (T3) mmHg in eyes with phacoemulsification only.

Conclusions

ELT, especially in combination with phacoemulsification, is a new promising laser treatment to reduce IOP for at least 1-2 years.