Abstract
Purpose: :
To determine whether trabeculectomy affects the posture-induced changes in the intraocular pressure (IOP) and whether it is maintained for months.
Methods: :
Twenty-nine eyes of 29 patients with open-angle glaucoma who were scheduled for their initial trabeculectomy with adjunctive mitomycin C were subjected. The IOP was measured in the sitting and the lateral decubitus position with an ICare rebound tonometer before, and 1, 3, and 12 months after the surgery.
Results: :
The mean baseline IOP measured with the ICare was 17.4 ± 4.9 mmHg in the sitting position and 21.3 ± 5.6 mmHg in the lateral decubitus position (P<0.001). This postural IOP difference, +3.8 mmHg, was reduced to +1.3 ± 1.7 mmHg at one month and to +0.8 ± 1.5 mmHg at 3 months after the surgery (P<0.001 and P=0.004, respectively). This decrease in the degree of posture-dependent IOP change was maintained at +1.7 ± 2.2 mmHg at 1-year postoperatively (P<0.001). In 3 cases, the postural IOP changes returned to the baseline level, and all 3 had a failed bleb.
Conclusions: :
Our results indicate that trabeculectomy not only reduces the IOP but also reduces the degree of posture-induced changes in the IOP. However, even after successful trabeculectomy, a significant difference in the IOP was present between the sitting and the lateral decubitus position.
Keywords: intraocular pressure • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials • wound healing