WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with glaucoma, long-term intraocular pressure fluctuations affect the progression of visual field deterioration, even in patients whose intraocular pressure is low (18 mm Hg or less) after undergoing surgery, according to a report published in the August issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
Young Jae Hong, M.D., Ph.D., of Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, and colleagues conducted a study of 408 eyes of 408 patients, including 246 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma and 162 eyes with chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma.
The subjects underwent a triple procedure: phacoemulsification, foldable posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation, and trabeculectomy. The patients were then split into two groups, with group 1 comprising those with a postoperative intraocular pressure standard deviation of two or less and group 2 including patients with standard deviation of greater than two.
There was no difference in intraocular pressure readings through the follow-up period and the visual defect scores were the same three months after surgery. Group 2 patients had higher incidence of visual field deterioration after 13 years of follow-up compared with group 1 patients.
"Our study suggests that reducing the long-term fluctuation of intraocular pressure after glaucoma surgery is effective in slowing or preventing visual field loss in patients with glaucoma," the authors conclude.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial
