Long-term Results of Primary Trabeculectomy in Glaucoma

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to identify the usefulness of mitomycin C (MMC) used in trabeculectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 47 eyes of 37 patients who underwent primary trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC group). Thirty four eyes of 30 patients underwent primary trabeculectomy without MMC (control group) from January 1991 to July 1996 at Chonnam National University Hospital. RESULTS: The mean intraocular pressure(IOP)'s at the last follow-up were 17.30+/-5.70mmHg and 18.96+/-7.57mmHg in MMC and control group, respectively. The mean numbers of postoperative anti-glaucoma medications were 0.89+/-0.89 and 1.26+/-0.66 in MMC and control group, respectively. By Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the survival rate of filtration was higher in MMC group than control group up to postoperative 60 months. However, the rate was reversed after 60 months. Postoperative complications in MMC group were cataract, hypotony, shallow anterior chamber, hyphema, bleb leakage, bleb infection and hypotonic maculopathy. CONCLUSIONS: MMC was effective in IOP-control in primary trabeculectomy, but there was no significant difference in long-term IOP-lowering effect compared to control group. However, there were more serious complications in the MMC group compared to control group. Therefore MMC should be used selectively.