Long-term follow-up of initially successful trabeculectomy with 5-fluorouracil injections.
OBJECTIVE
To study the long-term results (1-14 years) of trabeculectomies with 5-fluorouracil injections that were successful at 1 year.


METHODS
A retrospective noncomparative case series. INTERVENTION/PARTICIPANTS: We identified 87 patients (87 eyes) who had trabeculectomies with 5-fluorouracil injections from 1984 to 1989 that were successful at 1 year and had a follow-up range of 1.0 to 14.7 years (mean, 8.1, standard deviation of 4.4 years). All patients had previously failed glaucoma surgery (66.7%), cataract surgery (47.1%), or other diagnoses making them at high risk for failure.


METHODS
Successful control of intraocular pressure (IOP) was defined as IOP less than 21 mmHg or a reduction of 33% if preoperative pressure was less than 21 mmHg. Statistical analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier life table analysis.


RESULTS
If an eye is considered successful by IOP at 1 year, the probability of successful control is 61% at 5 years, 44% at 10 years, and 41% at 14 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite successful IOP control at 1 year, trabeculectomies with 5-fluorouracil injections show a continual loss of IOP control over time.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003228:Conjunctiva; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007267:Injections; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014130:Trabeculectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000963:Antimetabolites; D005472:Fluorouracil