title: Supraciliary shunt in refractory glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Gold Micro Shunt (GMS) for suprachoroidal drainage in patients with refractory glaucoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective uncontrolled case series study. Fifty-five eyes of 55 patients were included. Study eyes underwent GMS implantation in the supraciliary space. Follow-up visits were performed on day 1, week 1 and months 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24; patients underwent slit-lamp examination, Goldmann applanation tonometry, ultrasound biomicroscopy and gonioscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before inclusion, the eyes underwent an average (± SD) of 1.9 ± 0.7 (range 1-5) previous glaucoma surgery procedures. Forty eyes were pseudophakic, 12 were phakic and 3 were aphakic. The mean baseline intraocular pressure was 30.8 ± 8.8 mm Hg (range 22-58 mm Hg) despite maximal medical treatment. After 2 years of follow-up, qualified success was achieved in 37 eyes (67.3%) and complete success was achieved in 3 eyes (5.5%). In success group patients, mean intraocular pressure decreased from 27.6 ± 6.9 at baseline to 13.7 ± 2.98 mm Hg after 2 years of follow-up; the mean (± SD) number of medications was 1.4 ± 0.7 in the postoperative phase, compared with a value of 2.5 ± 0.9 in the preoperative phase. Mild side effects occurred in 21 patients, with mild or moderate postoperative hyphema being the most frequent one. Development of a thin membrane, obstructing the anterior holes, was the most important factor affecting the efficacy of this device; it was found to be present in 12 patients from the failure group (66.7% of failures).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GMS achieved qualified success in about 67.3% of eyes with uncontrolled refractory glaucoma with a low rate of complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa, 2 - Edificio 30, Pisa 56100, Italy. figus@ocupisa.it
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Figus
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lazzeri
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fogagnolo
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iester
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D020327:Glaucoma Drainage Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D006068:Gonioscopy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006988:Hyphema / Q000209:etiology; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D033401:Microscopy, Acoustic / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D012086:Reoperation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult