ABSTRACT
AIM: To compare the effectiveness of postoperative adjunctive use of subconjunctival bevacizumab in altering the outcome of primary trabeculectomy in terms of sustained lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) and reduction of postoperative bleb vascularization and fibrosis. METHODS: A prospective, one center, randomized, placebo-control study. Fifty-nine patients (59 eyes) with uncontrolled IOP under maximal tolerated medical treatment (MTMT) were recruited. A primary trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) was done and the patients were randomized to either postoperative subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL) or balanced salt solution (BSS). Forty-seven patients (47 eyes) completed at least one year of follow up and were included in the study. The main outcome measure was the IOP, and secondary outcome measures include bleb morphology, vascularization, and fibrosis, as well as the need for glaucoma medications and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) needling. RESULTS: At 1-year follow up, there was no significant difference between groups for IOP (P=0.65), bleb morphology (P=0.65), and the need for glaucoma medications (P=0.65) or 5-FU needling requirements (P=0.11). However, the bevacizumab group had a higher rate of success results, lower use of glaucoma medications after surgery, and optimal bleb aspect in more patients, but more 5-FU needling procedures required. CONCLUSION: A bigger sample size is needed in order to determine whether the differences found in the bevacizumab group are statistically significant.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of paste-pinch-cut conjunctivoplasty and cautery conjunctivoplasty for the treatment of symptomatic conjunctivochalasis. DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen patients (32 eyes) with bilateral conjunctivochalasis that was symptomatic after medical therapy were enrolled in the study. METHODS: This was a single-centre, contralateral eye, prospective study. Paste-pinch-cut conjunctivoplasty was performed in the left eye, and thermal cautery conjunctivoplasty was performed in the right eye. The outcomes of each procedure were compared preoperatively and at the 1-month follow-up by using the Canadian Dry Eye Assessment (CDEA) scoring system, standard conjunctivochalasis grading, and corneal staining. Intraoperative discomfort and immediate postoperative discomfort were assessed by using a 10-point scale. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 72.4 ± 8.67 years. Conjunctival redundancy was absent in 14 of 16 patients postoperatively. The mean CDEA score improved after both procedures (7.1 ± 2.8 preoperatively versus 4.5 ± 0.78 at the 1-month follow-up for cautery conjunctivoplasty, 7.4 ± 2.5 versus 4.9 ± 3.1 for paste-pinch-cut conjunctivoplasty). This improvement was statistically significant in the cautery conjunctivoplasty group (p = 0.012). Mean intraoperative discomfort was 2.6 ± 2.1 with the use of paste-pinch-cut conjunctivoplasty and 3.5 ± 3.2 with the use of cautery conjunctivoplasty; however, the difference was not statistically significant. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed with either technique. CONCLUSIONS: Paste-pinch-cut and thermal cautery conjunctivoplasty are both safe and effective surgical treatments for the repair of conjunctivochalasis, with patients reporting greater improvement in symptoms after the cautery technique.
