Transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation as primary and secondary surgical treatment in primary open-angle and pseudoexfoliatve glaucoma. Long-term clinical outcomes.
BACKGROUND
Transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation (TDLC) has been used successfully in the treatment of refractive glaucoma. However, little is known about TDLC as a primary or secondary surgical procedure in primary open-angle and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma.


METHODS
In a retrospective chart review we analyzed 90 eyes (48 OD/42 OS) in 90 patients (mean age 75 years, range 60-92 years; 51 men/39 woman) with primary open-angle glaucoma (n=66) and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (n=24) who consecutively underwent TDLC with a minimum follow-up of 24 months. In 24 eyes (26.7%) TDLC was the primary surgical treatment. Mean energy was 80 J (60-92 J). Success was defined as a final intraocular pressure (IOP) between 4 and 18 mmHg, a minimum IOP reduction of 20% and the absence of major complications.


RESULTS
The overall success rate was 36.7% after 24 months. A mean of 1.3 procedures was performed per patient. No correlation between age and success rate (p=0.887) or gender and success rate (p=0.895) was seen. There was no significant reduction in antiglaucomatous medication (p=0.208), no significant loss of visual acuity (p=0.324) nor a significant relationship between loss of visual acuity and failure of treatment (p=0.201). In patients with primary open-angle glaucoma the success rate was 40.9% after 24 months; in patients with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma it was 25.0% after 24 months. There was no significant difference between primary open-angle glaucoma and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (p=0.684). Previous ocular surgery decreased the success probability from 45.8 to 33.3% (p=0.001). Prolonged hypotonia occurred in 1 patient. No phthisis bulbi developed.


CONCLUSIONS
Transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation is an effective and safe method not only in the treatment of refractive glaucoma, but also as a primary surgical procedure in primary open-angle and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma. TDLC may be used more widely in glaucoma therapy, although further long-term studies have to confirm these findings.
University of Tübingen, Department of Ophthalmology, Schleichstrasse 12, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. matthias.grueb@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Matthias
M
Grueb
Jens Martin
JM
Rohrbach
Karl Ulrich
KU
Bartz-Schmidt
Torsten
T
Schlote
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000601:surgery*; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012590:Sclera; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology