Optic nerve head circulation after intraocular pressure reduction achieved by trabeculectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of trabeculectomy and needling revision of poorly functioning blebs on the optic nerve head (ONH) circulation in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).


METHODS
Prospective, nonrandomized, self-controlled trial.


METHODS
Nineteen POAG patients (age range, 52 +/- 12 years; mean +/- standard deviation) undergoing trabeculectomy and six POAG patients (age range, 62 +/- 14 years) undergoing needling revision of the bleb.


METHODS
Using the laser speckle method, the normalized blur (NB) value, a quantitative index of blood velocity, was determined every 0.125 seconds and averaged more than three cardiac pulses in the optic nerve head (NB(ONH)).


METHODS
The NB(ONH) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in both eyes, and blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate (PR) were measured before and 2 days and 1, 4, and 8 weeks after trabeculectomy, and also before and 10 and 40 min after needling procedures.


RESULTS
Intraocular pressure in the operated eye was significantly decreased after trabeculectomy or needling procedures, and the ocular perfusion pressure was significantly increased by a maximum of 38%. The IOP in the unoperated eye, BP, and PR did not significantly change. The NB(ONH) did not significantly change in either the operated or unoperated eye.


CONCLUSIONS
Trabeculectomy and needling procedures induced little change in the ONH circulation.
Tamaki
Y
Y
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Araie
M
M
Hasegawa
T
T
Nagahara
M
M
D001775:Blood Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000098:blood supply*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation; D014130:Trabeculectomy