Role of trabeculectomy in management of peseudoexfoliation glaucoma

ABSTRACT

Pseudoexfoliation syndrome is a relatively common but easily overlooked cause of chronic open angle glaucoma. When an eye with pseudoexfoliation develops secondary trabecular block glaucoma, the condition is referred to as pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. The response to medical treatment is generally not satisfactory and surgery has to be undertaken as a final resort. We conducted this study to find out the results of trabeculectomy in such cases. Fifty cases with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma presenting in the Dept of Ophthalmology, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi were initially treated with topical medications for three months. Twenty-nine cases that showed poor response to drugs were operated upon and a trabeculectomy was performed. Postoperative pressure readings were recorded twice weekly for the first two months and then once monthly for four months. After a follow-up of six months, twenty-one cases [72.41%] were effectively controlled without any added medications whereas eight cases [27.58%] required addition of a single drug to achieve the desired effect. Trabeculectomy seems a safe and effective operation in glaucoma associated with pseudoexfoliation of the lens capsule