The Effects of Mitomycin C on Trabeculectomy

ABSTRACT

Mitomycin C (MMC) is an antimetabolite, antibiotic which prevents the proliferation of fibroblast and fibrosis by inhibition of DNA-dependent RNA synthesis. It has been used to increase the success rate of filtering surgery. We performed trabeculectomy and peripheral iridectomy with 0.4 mg/ml MMC application for 3 minutes in poor prognostic glaucoma patient, 26 eyes of 24 patients from February 1992 to December 1994. The postoperative change of intraocular pressure (IOP) and complications were followed up from 3 to 30 months (mean 12.4 months). The preoperative and postoperative mean IOP after 24 months were 32.3 +/- 11.4 mmHg and 12.7 +/- 3.1 mmHg, respectively. The decrease rate of IOP was 60.7% and the success rate was 71.7%. The postoperative complications were 15 eyes including 5 eyes of shallow anterior chamber, 5 eyes of hyphema, 2 eyes of conjunctival wound leakage, one eye of bleb rupture, one eye of choroidal detachment, and one eye of cataract formation.