title: Baerveldt glaucoma implants in the management of refractory glaucoma after vitreous surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effectiveness and safety of Baerveldt glaucoma implants in eyes with refractory glaucoma following vitrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective study of a non-comparative case series of 30 eyes of 30 patients who had undergone the implantation of a Baerveldt glaucoma device. All eyes (30/30) had a minimum follow-up of 6 months, and 16/30 (53%) had a follow-up of 24 months. Surgical success was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) < 22 mmHg on the last two follow-up visits with or without glaucoma medication and a decrease in IOP of at least 20% compared to preoperative values with or without glaucoma medication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean IOP before implantation of a Baerveldt glaucoma device was 30 mmHg [+/- 11.4 mmHg standard deviation (SD)] with maximally tolerated medical therapy. Six months after implantation of the Baerveldt glaucoma device, the mean IOP was 17.3 mmHg (+/- 6.7 mmHg SD) and the mean number of glaucoma medications had gone down from 3.0 (+/- 0.4 SD) to 0.3 (+/- 0.3 SD). Successful outcomes were found in 24 eyes (80%). Small complications occurred in six eyes (20%): transient postoperative hypotony (17%) and tube retraction (3%). Larger complications occurred in another six eyes (20%): corneal decompensation requiring keratoplasty (7%), suprachoroidal haemorrhage (3%) and persistently high IOP (10%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baerveldt glaucoma devices are a valid treatment option in eyes with refractory glaucoma after vitreous surgery, although failure occurred in 20% of our patients. Transient complications occurred in 20% and severe complications in another 20%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Service of Vitreoretinal Surgery, University Hospital Ghent, Belgium. elisabeth.vanaken@ugent.be
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Aken
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lemij
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vander Haeghen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Waard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002832:Choroid Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D020327:Glaucoma Drainage Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D015814:Ocular Hypotension / Q000209:etiology; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult