title: Aqueous shunt exposure: a retrospective review of repair outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the patient outcomes and factors affecting those outcomes after aqueous shunt exposure repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three eyes from Robert Cizik Eye Clinic and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute from 1995 to 2007 suffered from aqueous shunt exposure and were repaired by participating surgeons. Thirty-three were tube exposures and 7 were plate exposures. The remaining 3 exposure classified complications included a patch graft exposure, an elbow exposure, and 1 unknown complication. Forty eyes were followed for evidence of additional aqueous shunt exposures or additional surgical interventions for 46.6 weeks (40.2 wk) (range: 3 to 168 wk).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen of 40 eyes required additional surgical intervention: 15 (45%) from the tube exposure group and 2 (29%) from the plate exposure group. Five (13%) eyes needed eventual removal of the shunt. Black race, diabetes mellitus, a high number of glaucoma medications before shunt implantation, a history of multiple glaucoma laser procedures, and combination of an initial aqueous shunt implantation with another surgery were found to be associated with a worse outcome after exposure repair.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraocular pressure, number of medications, and visual acuity remained stable during follow-up after revision. Diabetes mellitus was associated with a shorter average time between initial repair and reintervention, and 4 other variables were associated with a higher likelihood of reintervention.
authors.affiliation: Robert Cizik Eye Clinic, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Huddleston
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Budenz
authors.forename: Nicholas P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Alice Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Mankiewicz
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Koval
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.forename: Alexei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moraczewski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D020878:Device Removal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000601:surgery*; D020327:Glaucoma Drainage Implants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult