[The Ahmed glaucoma valve - a new implant for high intraocular pressure].
In incurable glaucoma the implantation of traditional drainage systems (such as the Molteno implant) usually leads to extreme hypotension in the eye in the first postoperative period. The Ahmed Glaucoma Valve presents an alternative method to avoid this problem.


METHODS
Ten patients with incurable glaucoma received an Ahmed Glaucoma Valve. The average age was 59 years (22-81) and the follow-up period was an average of 8 months (4-20).


RESULTS
In the early postoperative period the average IOP was 5.5 mm Hg (range 4-8.5). We saw chorioidal detachments in two patients but no shallow anterior chamber. In six patients the pressure rose over 22 mm Hg, but we induced filtration by massaging the eye or rinsing the system in three and two patients, respectively. In nine of the ten patients, tension was definitively regulated, in one with an additional topical medication against glaucoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Unlike the classic glaucoma drainage systems, the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve reduces intraocular pressure in the first postoperative period without the problems of excessive hypotension.
Hille
K
K
Universitäts-Augenklinik, Homburg/Saar.
Ruprecht
K W
KW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000601:surgery*; D020327:Glaucoma Drainage Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors