NPGS offers a good alternative to trabeculectomy

Non-penetrating glaucoma surgery (NPGS) is a safe and effective filtering procedure and could offer an alternative to trabeculectomy in patients with open angle glaucoma, according to Dr Aslan and colleagues from Ege University School of Medicine, Turkey.

A total of 112 patients (124 eyes) with uncontrolled primary and secondary open angle glaucoma, were enrolled to take part in the study. The patients were divided into four treatment groups: viscocanalostomy (56 eyes), deep sclerectomy with non-absorbable T-Flux implant (33 eyes), deep sclerectomy with reticulated hyaluronic acid implant (SKGEL) (14 eyes) and deep sclerectomy with collagen implant (DSCI).

Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) decreased from 25.5±7.6 mmHg at baseline to 15.9±4.6 mmHg at six months, to 17.0±5.6 mmHg at one year, 16.7±4.1 mmHg at year three and 15.5±2.5 mmHg at year five in all patients. No significant difference in success rate was found between the various techniques.

The investigators suggest that NPGS is not only safe and effective, but may be a good alternative to trabeculectomy in patients with uncontrolled open angle glaucoma.