title: Use of the anterior chamber maintainer in trabeculectomy following vitrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively observe the effects of anterior chamber maintainer (ACM) placement in glaucoma patients undergoing trabeculectomy following vitrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trabeculectomy was performed on 51 secondary glaucoma patients (51 eyes), all of whom had undergone vitrectomy. During trabeculectomy, an ACM was placed in 27 eyes (group A), but not in the remaining 24 (group B). Intra- and post-operative complications were recorded. Intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were recorded pre-operatively and repeated post-operatively on follow up days 1, 3, and 7, and months 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24. Surgical success rates were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean pre-operative IOPs of groups A and B were 32.74 ± 11.25 and 34.29 ± 9.68 mmHg, respectively. In group A, anterior chamber bleeding (two cases), and choroidal detachment and/or ciliary detachment (four cases) occurred. In group B, anterior chamber bleeding (five cases), and choroidal detachment and/or ciliary detachment (11 cases) occurred. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups. There also was statistically significant difference in post-operative IOPs between the two groups at 12 and 24 months. The surgical success rate of group A was higher than that of group B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ACM is effective in maintaining IOP and reducing complications during trabeculectomy following vitrectomy, thereby increasing surgical success rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Glaucoma, Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China. wyhlzg@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Yuhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014129:Trabecular Meshwork / Q000601:surgery*; D014130:Trabeculectomy / Q000379:methods*; D014821:Vitrectomy