Axial length decrease accompanying successful glaucoma filtration surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate change in axial length measurement after successful glaucoma filtering surgery.


METHODS
Retrospective consecutive case series.


METHODS
Sixty-two patients with phakia who underwent primary trabeculectomy.


METHODS
The A-scan biometry of ocular axial length before and after trabeculectomy.


METHODS
Changes in ocular axial length measurement after successful trabeculectomy were analyzed.


RESULTS
The mean decrease in axial length measurement was 0.423 mm (range, -2.8 to +0.5 mm). Regression analysis yielded a statistically significant association between decrease in axial length measurement and age (P = 0.0001) and post-trabeculectomy intraocular pressure decrease greater than 30 mmHg (P = 0.01). Analysis of variance revealed a significant association between decrease in axial length measurement and use of antimetabolite (P = 0.005). Pseudophakic axial length measurements increased an average of 0.275 mm compared to the axial length after trabeculectomy and before cataract surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Axial length measurement decreased in 32 of 62 eyes after successful initial trabeculectomy. A decrease in axial length measurement may have an influence on intraocular lens calculations. Therefore, the authors recommend that an axial length measurement be obtained on phakic eyes before an initial trabeculectomy to reduce the risk of an inaccurate intraocular lens power calculation based on post-trabeculectomy axial length measurements.
Cashwell
L F
LF
Wake Forest University Eye Center, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA. fcashwel@nr.infi.net
Martin
C A
CA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects; D005123:Eye / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015812:Glaucoma, Angle-Closure / Q000601:surgery*; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014130:Trabeculectomy; D014463:Ultrasonography