title: Beneficial effects of adjuvant intravitreal bevacizumab injection on outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in patients with neovascular glaucoma: systematic literature review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the effects of adjuvant intravitreal bevacizumab injection on the outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation in patients with neovascular glaucoma (NVG) through a systematic literature review.
  
  
  METHODS
  An extensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library was performed in November 2014 for selection of relevant studies. The weighted mean difference of the percentage of intraocular pressure reduction (IOPR%) from baseline to endpoint was used as the primary efficacy estimate, and Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the success rate were used as the secondary efficacy estimates. The incidence of adverse events was also documented through a review of the studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six studies involving 252 patients (256 eyes) were included in this systematic review. The differences in the means and 95% CIs of the IOPR% of 6 studies showed that adjuvant bevacizumab treatment tended to be more effective than AGV implantation alone. Comparison of the outcomes of AGV implantation only with those of AGV implantation+adjuvant bevacizumab showed a success rate in favor of AGV implantation+adjuvant bevacizumab. The incidence of bleeding-associated complications such as hyphema, vitreous hemorrhage, and suprachoroidal hemorrhage was lower in association with combination treatment than with AGV implantation only. Combination treatment seemed to be associated with a lower incidence of other adverse effects such as hypotony, flat chamber, choroidal detachment/effusion, tube-associated complications, and corneal decompensation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AGV implantation with adjuvant bevacizumab was more effective and had a higher success rate than surgery alone for lowering IOP in patients with NVG. The combined procedure tended to show a lower incidence of bleeding-associated complications, such as hyphema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Jae Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hye Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Na Young
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000277:Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D020327:Glaucoma Drainage Implants; D015355:Glaucoma, Neovascular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000277:Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000068258:Bevacizumab