title: Glaucoma drainage devices: a review of the past, present, and future.
abstract: Glaucoma drainage devices are more frequently being used for glaucoma filtering surgeries, even those at low risk for failure with trabeculectomy. There are 4 major devices available: the Molteno, Baerveldt, Krupin, and Ahmed. The Molteno and Baerveldt are non-valved implants, while the Krupin and Ahmed are valved. The success rates of the different valves are about equal at approximately 70% with a mean intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering of at least 50% from the pre-operative IOP. Unfortunately, the failure rate is about 10% per year, leading to only 50% functional drainage devices at 5 years. Therefore, research on the biomaterials, shape, and technique of drainage implant surgery is being done in hopes of increasing long term success rates.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Glaucoma Service, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA. shuchibpatel@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shuchi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Louis R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Pasquale
mesh_terms: D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D020327:Glaucoma Drainage Implants / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation