Glaucoma implant material may influence IOP

A study in the September/October issue of the European Journal of Ophthalmology has shown that the silicone plate Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) results in lower intraocular pressure (IOP) compared with the older polypropylene plate AGV.

David Miguel Hinkle and colleagues from Tulane University Health Sciences Center and Harvard Medical School, US, reviewed 25 eyes of 22 patients undergoing silicone plate AGV (FP-7) and 26 eyes of 22 patients undergoing polypropylene plate AGV (S-2) implantation.

After implantation, IOP reductions were recorded in both the FP-7 group (29.6±13.1 to 12.1±3.4 mm Hg) and the S-2 group (31.4±11.7 to 16.1±5.7 mmHg). However, the FP-7 group had a statistically lower IOP compared with the S-2 group at six and 12 months.

Based on these results, it was concluded that plate material might influence clinical outcomes.