Long-term follow-up of intraocular pressure and pressure-lowering medication in patients after ab-interno trabeculectomy with the Trabectome

Background The minimally invasive ab-interno trabeculectomy (AIT) via electro-ablation with the Trabectome has been on the European market since 2009. Many studies have proven the safety and efficacy of the procedure. Up until now, studies investigating the long-term effect of AIT have been sparse. In this study, we present long-term results of AIT in patients with primary and secondary open-angle glaucoma. Methods In a retrospective monocentric study, the data of all the patients having undergone the procedure in 2010 at our institution were recorded. Data was collected during routine examinations at our institution. In total, 81 eyes of 74 patients (46 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), 28 patients with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEXG)) were included. At every examination, the intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured using Goldmann applanation tonometry and the number of IOP-lowering medication was registered. Statistical analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier analysis or Dunnett's t test, respectively. Results For both groups (POAG and PEXG), we found a significant lowering of the IOP (28% for POAG and 26% for PEXG) and a significant reduction of the number of IOP-lowering medication (32% for POAG and 29% for PEXG) after a median follow-up period of 3.5 years. Conclusion In patients with open-angle glaucoma and especially pseudoexfoliative glaucoma, ab-interno trabeculectomy is an effective surgical procedure to significantly lower the intraocular pressure on a long-term basis.