ABSTRACT
As glaucoma is the most frequent cause of blindness in Barbados, changes in treatment are being sought. Glaucoma drainage surgery was performed on 46 eyes which had open angle glaucoma uncontrolled by medical means. All the patients were deeply pigmented West Indians. The short term assessment of results has been made on a return of the intraocular tension to normal without apparent visual deterioration. Of the 46 eyes, the tension has been normalized in 67 percent and these patients are now maintained without treatment. In 20 percent miotic drops are required and in 4 percent drops and Diamox are necessary to normalize the tension. In 9 percent improvement was not satisfactory. Because of the usually satisfactory results, surgery should be offered to glaucoma patients at an earlier stage, even to patients with deeply pigmented eyes (AU)