Hypotony Failure Criteria in Glaucoma Surgical Studies and Their Influence on Surgery Success.

PURPOSE: Review hypotony failure criteria used in glaucoma surgical outcome studies and evaluate their impact on success rates. DESIGN: Systematic literature review and application of hypotony failure criteria to 2 retrospective cohorts. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 934 eyes and 1765 eyes undergoing trabeculectomy and deep sclerectomy (DS) with a median follow-up of 41.4 and 45.4 months, respectively. METHODS: Literature-based hypotony failure criteria were applied to patient cohorts. Intraocular pressure (IOP)-related success was defined as follows: (A) IOP ≤ 21 mmHg with ≥ 20% IOP reduction; (B) IOP ≤ 18 mmHg with ≥ 20% reduction; (C) IOP ≤ 15 mmHg with ≥ 25% reduction; and (D) IOP ≤ 12 mmHg with ≥ 30% reduction. Failure was defined as IOP exceeding these criteria in 2 consecutive visits > 3 months after surgery, loss of light perception, additional IOP-lowering surgery, or hypotony. Cox regression estimated failure risk for different hypotony criteria, using no hypotony as a reference. Analyses were conducted for each criterion and hypotony type (i.e., numerical [IOP threshold], clinical [clinical manifestations], and mixed [combination of numerical or clinical criteria]). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hazard ratio (HR) for failure risk. RESULTS: Of 2503 studies found, 278 were eligible, with 99 studies (35.6%) lacking hypotony failure criteria. Numerical hypotony was predominant (157 studies [56.5%]). Few studies used clinical hypotony (3 isolated [1.1%]; 19 combined with low IOP [6.8%]). Forty-nine different criteria were found, with IOP < 6 mmHg, IOP < 6 mmHg on ≥ 2 consecutive visits after 3 months, and IOP < 5 mmHg being the most common (41 [14.7%], 38 [13.7%], and 13 [4.7%] studies, respectively). In both cohorts, numerical hypotony posed the highest risk of failure (HR, 1.51-1.21 for criteria A to D; P < 0.001), followed by mixed hypotony (HR, 1.41-1.20 for criteria A to D; P < 0.001), and clinical hypotony (HR, 1.12-1.04; P < 0.001). Failure risk varied greatly with various hypotony definitions, with the HR ranging from 1.02 to 10.79 for trabeculectomy and 1.00 to 8.36 for DS. CONCLUSIONS: Hypotony failure criteria are highly heterogenous in the glaucoma literature, with few studies focusing on clinical manifestations. Numerical hypotony yields higher failure rates than clinical hypotony and can underestimate glaucoma surgery success rates. Standardizing failure criteria with an emphasis on clinically relevant hypotony manifestations is needed. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Long-term Treatment Outcomes for Malignant Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To report the contributing factors to the successful long-term treatment outcomes of a large series of patients with malignant glaucoma (MG). DESIGN: Retrospective, interventional, consecutive case series. PARTICIPANTS: This study used data collected from 1997 to 2022 from the Glaucoma Division of the Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). All patients with MG who underwent treatment at UCLA were enrolled. METHODS: The following demographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed for their relevance to successful treatment: age, gender, ethnicity, glaucoma family history, visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), lens status, prior glaucoma diagnosis, prior ocular surgery, prior use of antiglaucoma agents, ultrasonic axial length, qualitative anterior chamber (AC) depth, and treatment methods and outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anatomical success was defined as restoration of normal AC depth, indicating relief of the MG episode. Complete success was defined as anatomical success and the reduction of IOP to < 21 mmHg without further surgery, with or without medications. RESULTS: A total of 74 eyes of 73 patients were identified with a diagnosis of MG. The median (interquartile range) age of the patients at the time of MG presentation was 70 years (19.5) and 49 (75.4%) patients were female. The most common prior diagnosis before MG was primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) (34 eyes, 51.5%). The initiating event for 30 eyes (45.5%) was glaucoma surgery and for 21 eyes (31.8%) was cataract surgery. Most eyes were pseudophakic (57, 86.4%). Fifty-six eyes underwent medical treatment; MG resolved in 2 eyes with medical treatment alone. Nine eyes (7 eyes = treatment naïve; 2 eyes = failed medical treatment) underwent laser treatment and MG resolved in 5 eyes. Among the 55 eyes which had surgical treatment, 52 eyes failed medical treatment and 3 eyes were treatment naïve. The anatomical success rate with surgical treatment was 96.4% and the most commonly performed surgical procedure was combined pars plana antero-central vitrectomy, hyaloido-zonulectomy, and iridectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Female gender, PACG, and glaucoma surgery were predisposing factors for the development of MG. Medical treatment alone for MG was inadequate in the vast majority of cases. A surgical technique consisting of combined pars plana antero-central vitrectomy, hyaloido-zonulectomy and iridectomy consistently produced high long-term success. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Efficacy and Safety of Primary Glaucoma Device Implantation Surgery in Exfoliative Glaucoma: A Retrospective Consecutive Case Series.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of primary glaucoma drainage implant (GDI) surgery for exfoliation glaucoma (XFG). METHODS: This study was a retrospective, consecutive case series study including 36 eyes of 36 patients with XFG who underwent primary GDI surgery. Intraocular pressure (IOP), the mean deviation (MD) from the visual field exam, corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), and the number of topical antiglaucoma agents used during the preoperative and postoperative periods were retrospectively analyzed. Surgical success was defined by the following criteria: (1) IOP ≤ 18 mmHg and an IOP reduction of 20% with 1 or no medication; (2) IOP ≤ 15 mmHg and an IOP reduction of 25% with 1 or no medication; and (3) IOP ≤ 12 mmHg and an IOP reduction of 30% with 1 or no medication. The probability of success of GDI surgery was determined via Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: The preoperative IOP was 25.9 ± 4.7 mmHg, and the postoperative IOP at 24 months was decreased to 14.2 ± 3.6 mmHg (p value < 0.001). The postoperative MD and ECD were similar to baseline (MD p value = 0.155; ECD p value = 0.055). However, a significant reduction in the number of antiglaucoma agents was observed (p value < 0.001). The surgical success rates were 77.8%, 63.9%, and 55.6% at 24 months for criteria 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Early hypotony (4 patients, 11.1%) and persistent corneal edema (5 patients, 13.9%) were the most common early and late postoperative complications, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In XFG, primary GDI surgery reduced IOP by 45.2% and had a 77.8% success rate according to criteria 1 at 24 months postoperatively. However, considering that ECD reduction continues to decline over time, primary GDI surgery should be carefully considered in XFG.

Clinical Manifestations of Strabismus in Patients with Primary Congenital Glaucoma.

Purpose: To determine the clinical manifestations and risk factors of developing strabismus in primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) patients who underwent glaucoma surgery. Methods: A retrospective case-series study of 54 PCG patients who were followed for at least 3 years after glaucoma surgery. The subjects were divided into 2 groups based on the occurrence of strabismus. Age at glaucoma diagnosis and surgery, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, amblyopia, cup-disc ratio, and orthoptic status were compared between the 2 groups. Results: Twenty of 54 patients (37.0%) developed strabismus after glaucoma surgery. The mean ages at the time of glaucoma diagnosis and surgery were 3.2 ± 2.7 months and 3.4 ± 2.8 months in the strabismus group and 24.3 ± 19.1 months and 26.4 ± 18.9 months in the non-strabismus group, respectively (p < .05). In addition, the mean logMAR visual acuities were 0.87 ± 0.38 in the strabismus group and 0.24 ± 0.21 in the non-strabismus group (p < .05). The proportion of patients experiencing amblyopia was 90.0% in the strabismus group. Low visual acuity and young age at glaucoma surgery were significant predictors of developing strabismus. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that the probability of developing strabismus after glaucoma surgery was 50.6% at 10 years post-surgery. Conclusions: PCG patients who developed strabismus after glaucoma surgery were diagnosed with glaucoma and underwent surgery at a younger age, exhibited a worse mean best corrected visual acuity, and exhibited a higher amblyopia incidence than did patients in the non-strabismus group.

Effects of upper lid blepharoplasty on visual quality in patients with lash ptosis and dermatochalasis.

AIM: To assess the effects of upper lid blepharoplasty on visual quality. METHODS: Seventy-three eyelids of 39 patients were subjected to upper lid blepharoplasty. Pre- and post-operative contrast sensitivity, visual acuity, vertical palpebral aperture and the degree of lash ptosis were measured. RESULTS: The mean log contrast sensitivities under photopic (P=0.017) and scotopic conditions (P=0.009) were improved after surgery, and these differences were significant. The degree of lash ptosis was also decreased after blepharoplasty (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In our study, a significant increase in contrast sensitivity was found after surgery. These results suggest that upper lid blepharoplasty can be helpful for improving visual quality.

Clinical evaluation of the effect of diquafosol ophthalmic solution in glaucoma patients with dry eye syndrome.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of diquafosol on intraocular pressure (IOP) and dry eye symptoms in glaucoma patients with dry eye syndrome (DES). METHODS: This study evaluated a total of 138 glaucoma patients with DES who were treated with diquafosol ophthalmic solution (DIQUAS(®)). Before treatment and 1, 4, 12, 36, and 52 weeks after treatment, IOP, ocular surface disease index (OSDI), tear film break-up time (BUT), Schirmer I test scores, fluorescein staining, conjunctival impression cytology, and adverse drug reactions were evaluated. RESULTS: Throughout the treatment period, the mean IOP for all the patients remained stable after treatment with diquafosol (15.4 ± 2.8 mmHg at baseline and 16.0 ± 2.8 mmHg at 52 weeks). The mean OSDI score improved significantly at 4, 12, and 52 weeks after diquafosol treatment. The BUT and Schirmer I test scores were significantly increased after diquafosol treatment. The Oxford scheme score was significantly decreased at 1, 4, 12, 36, and 52 weeks after diquafosol treatment. A significant improvement in goblet cell density was observed after 4 weeks of treatment with diquafosol. Adverse drug reactions were reported in 22 (15.9 %) patients. There were no serious adverse drug reactions. CONCLUSIONS: Diquafosol was effective in improving objective and subjective symptoms and maintained a stable IOP in glaucoma patients with DES. Therefore, the addition of diquafosol treatment in glaucoma patients with DES or ocular surface side effects using anti-glaucoma medication may be beneficial.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma in a patient with miller fisher syndrome without pupillary dysfunction.

PURPOSE: To report a case of an angle-closure glaucoma in a patient with Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) without pupillary dysfunction. METHODS: We present a case report of a 75-year-old male presenting with total ophthalmoplegia, complete bilateral ptosis, and gait disturbance. He was diagnosed with MFS without pupillary dysfunction, which precipitated unilateral acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) due to complete lid ptosis. RESULTS: The initial ocular examination revealed hand motion in the right eye. Intraocular pressure, as assessed by Goldmann applanation tonometry, was 50 mm Hg, and gonioscopic findings revealed a closed angle on the right eye. After maximal tolerated medical therapy, laser peripheral iridotomy was performed. The unilateral AACG with MFS resolved without further incident. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported case of a patient with MFS without autonomic dysfunction and AACG. We believe that pupillary dysfunction or lid ptosis due to neurological disorders may increase the possibility of AACG.

The clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of epiblepharon in korean children: a 9-year experience.

Purpose. To examine the demographic characteristics, clinical features, surgical outcomes, and long-term prognoses of epiblepharon in Korean children. Methods. Epiblepharon patients who were followed for ≥ 6 month following surgical correction between January 2005 and December 2013. The patient demographics, clinical features, concomitant disorders, surgical outcomes, and complications were retrospectively reviewed. Results. A total of 768 epiblepharon records were included in the analysis. The mean patient age was 6.55 ± 2.37 years. At presentation, 712 patients (92.8%) complained of typical epiblepharon symptoms. The mean patient age at surgery was 6.95 ± 2.52 years, with 629 patients (81.9%) on the lower lid and 72 patients (9.4%) on the upper lid and 82 patients (10.7%) undergoing surgery on both lids. The eyelid was well everted with no recurrence in 740 patients (96.4%). Conclusion. Epiblepharon frequently occurs in Korean children and is correctable with a simple surgery. Recurrence and serious complications do not occur often, and any suspicions of epiblepharon should be investigated. A thorough ocular examination can lead to a correct diagnosis and timely corrective surgery. Most procedures are successful and prevent secondary complications that often occur with uncorrected epiblepharon.

Efficacy of Seprafilm(®) graft with adhesiolysis in experimentally induced lid adhesion in rabbits.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of Seprafilm(®) transplantation following adhesiolysis for preventing postoperative readhesion and improving surgical outcomes. METHODS: Primary blepharoplasty was carried out on both eyelids of 18 albino rabbits. After 2 weeks, a new skin incision was made, and adhesiolysis was performed on both eyelids. The rabbits were categorized into two groups, one with adhesiolysis alone in the left eyelid (control group), and the other with adhesiolysis with a Seprafilm(®) graft in the right eyelid (Seprafilm(®) group). The degrees of inflammation and fibrosis were examined with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson's trichrome stains. Expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was also immunohistochemically examined. RESULTS: Eyelid examination immediately after the operation revealed mild swelling and hemorrhage in both groups, but these symptoms resolved after 1 week-2 weeks, and eyelid shape had recovered completely in both groups. Microscopic assessments demonstrated that the Seprafilm(®) group showed less inflammation and fibrosis than the control group. The Seprafilm(®) group also exhibited fewer α-SMA-positive cells than the control group. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, we conclude that Seprafilm(®) graft with adhesiolysis is an effective method for preventing postoperative readhesions after eyelid surgery.