Non-penetrating filtering surgery with MMC

Non-penetrating filtering surgery with intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC) and without a scleral implant, can provide reasonable intraocular pressure (IOP) control, according to Esther Arranz-Marquez and co-workers from the Vissum Corporacion Oftalmologica de Madrid, Spain.

A prospective trial enrolled 131 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) to undergo non-penetrating filtering surgery with MMC and without an implant. Patients were followed-up at one day and one, three, six, nine and 12 months postoperatively.

Mean preoperative IOP was 20.2±5.2 mmHg. At each follow-up a reduction in IOP was recorded (p=0.001): 12.3±4.2, 13.7±4.6, 13.7±3.6, 14.2±4.0, 14.1±3.6 at one, three, six, nine and 12 months, respectively. Further, the mean number of medications reduced from 1.8±0.7 to 0.1±0.4 12 months postoperatively. Goniopuncture was carried out in 31 eyes and three eyes were re-operated on due to inadequate IOP control.

At the study's conclusion, the authors believed that this procedure offers reasonable IOP control with few postoperative complications.