advertisement
Abstract #6537 Published in IGR 3-2
'Scleral tunnel incision' - trabeculectomy with one releasable suture
Vuori ML; Viitanen TActa Ophthalmologica Scandinavica 2001; 79: 301-304
PURPOSE: To describe a modified surgical technique, scleral tunnel incision-trabeculectomy (STIT), and to evaluate its safety and efficacy in lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma patients. METHODS: One hundred and three patients were included in a retrospective, nonrandomized clinical study. Fifty-three patients were operated on conventionally and 40 patients underwent STIT. With the modified technique, the sides of the scleral flap are opened only half-way to the limbus, and the flap is closed with a single releasable 'slipknot' suture. RESULTS: The mean IOP on the first postoperative day was 4.5 ± 6.8 mmHg in the conventional group and 7.4 ± 7.1 mmHg in the tunnel incision group (p = 0.012). On the second postoperative day, the mean IOP was 4.5 ± 7.3 and 6.3 ± 6.5 mmHg in the conventional and tunnel incision groups, respectively (p = 0.065). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean postoperative IOP between the groups at one month and at six to 12 months. Shallow anterior chamber and iridocorneal touch occurred statistically significantly less in the tunnel incision group than in the conventional group. CONCLUSIONS: STIT appears to be equivalent to conventional trabeculectomy (CT) in lowering IOP during the first six to 12 months postoperatively. It is also relatively safe and has fewer early complications related to excessive aqueous outflow than CT.
Dr M.L. Vuori, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
Classification:
12.8.1 Without tube implant (Part of: 12 Surgical treatment > 12.8 Filtering surgery)
