Comparison of Surgical Outcomes Between Microhook Ab Interno Trabeculotomy and Goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade in Combination with Phacoemulsification: A Retrospective, Comparative Case Series.

PURPOSE: To study surgical outcomes of patients with a minimum of 6 months of follow-up after undergoing combined phacoemulsification with either microhook ab interno trabeculotomy (µLOT-Phaco) or goniotomy using the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB-Phaco). METHODS: This retrospective comparative case series examined 22 µLOT-Phaco eyes and 81 KDB-Phaco eyes that underwent surgery between December 2016 and October 2018. Data collected from medical records included pre- and postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), number of IOP-lowering medications and complication occurrence. Potential risk factors for failure were determined by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Surgical failure was defined as an IOP of > 20 mmHg, < 20% reduction in preoperative IOP or additional glaucoma surgery. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess success rates. Score matching used a genetic algorithm consisting of type of glaucoma. RESULTS: Of 81 KDB-Phaco eyes, 22 eyes were matched to 22 µLOT-Phaco eyes. Mean IOP in the µLOT-Phaco group decreased from 24.7 ± 6.4 mmHg at baseline to 14.4 ± 3.0 mmHg (P < 0.01) and 13.0 ± 2.5 mmHg (P < 0.01) at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Mean IOP in the KDB-Phaco group decreased from 23.2 ± 5.4 mmHg to 15.8 ± 3.3 mmHg (P < 0.001) and 16.7 ± 2.1 mmHg (P < 0.001), respectively. Mean number of preoperative IOP-lowering medications in the µLOT-Phaco group at baseline was 3.7 ± 1.0, which decreased to 1.4 ± 1.5 (P < 0.01) at 12 months, while in the KDB-Phaco group it decreased from a baseline value of 3.3 ± 1.2 to 1.1 ± 1.4 (P < 0.01). Probability of qualified success at 12 months in the µLOT-Phaco and KDB-Phaco groups was 71.8% and 62.2%, respectively (P = 0.75). Similar postoperative complications were found between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Use of µLOT-Phaco and KDB-Phaco resulted in comparable IOPs and reductions in the number of medications.

Intraocular pressure-lowering effects of Ripasudil: a potential outcome marker for Trabeculotomy.

BACKGROUND: To examine the use of ripasudil as a trabeculotomy outcome marker in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). METHODS: Between May 2015 and December 2018, 35 eyes underwent trabeculotomy and were postoperatively followed for over 3 months. Ripasudil was defined as effective if drug administration resulted in a greater than 10% reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP). Patients were divided into effective (effective group) or non-effective (non-effective group) ripasudil administration groups. The need for additional glaucoma surgery or an IOP ≥ 21 mmHg indicated surgical failure. In both groups, a Kaplan-Meier survival-analysis was used to evaluate success probabilities related to postoperative IOP levels. RESULTS: Effective IOP reduction occurred in 14 of 35 eyes after ripasudil administration, which was shown by a decrease of more than 10%. Postoperatively, both groups exhibited significant reductions of IOP and antiglaucoma medication use for up to 24 months. At 12 and 24 months after trabeculotomy, probabilities of success in the effective vs. non-effective group were 100% vs. 94.7 and 100% vs. 75.4%, respectively (P = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: Trabeculotomy is effective for achieving an IOP < 21 mmHg in ripasudil effective POAG eyes. Examination of ripasudil's IOP-lowering effects may be useful in predicting surgical outcomes after trabeculotomy.