Abstract
Purpose :
To describe a novel technique of creating a landing strip within the trabecular meshwork to guide trabecular micro-bypass stent (iStent) implantation in patients who underwent phacoemulsification.
Methods :
Thirty-four eyes from 30 patients who underwent iStent implantation after phacoemulsification were included in our retrospective study. All iStents were implanted via the landing strip technique. A 25-gauge microvitreoretinal blade was used to bisect the trabecular meshwork to less than 1 clock-hour, effectively creating a landing strip. The iStent applicator was pressed along the landing strip and then the stent was released into the trabecular meshwork.
Results :
Of the 34 eyes with iStent implantation, 27 (79%) eyes had primary open-angle glaucoma, 6 (18%) eyes had pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, and 1 (3%) eye had ocular hypertension. At 6-month follow-up (n=17), the mean number of hypotensive medications decreased from 2.2±1.2 at baseline to 0.8±1.3 (P=0.05) and mean intraocular pressure decreased from 19.7±4.1mmHg at baseline to 16.7±2.1mmHg (P=0.58). Two eyes (5.9%) required subsequent trabeculectomy.
Conclusions :
The landing strip technique appears to be an effective way to assist with iStent implantation.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.