Filtering seton implant for glaucoma: initial animal trial.

A newly developed silicone filtering seton device was implanted in each of five eyes of four rhesus monkeys after they had undergone extensive argon-laser trabeculoplasty to raise their intraocular pressure (IOP). One animal (one implant eye) was killed at 6 weeks. The other three animals (four implant eyes) were observed for 17 to 24 months following implantation surgery. Mild to moderate postoperative inflammation subsided during the first postoperative week. The eyes remained quiet throughout the remainder of follow up. The postoperative IOPs varied between 18% and 70% of the IOPs at the time of implant surgery. In the three monkeys that had unilateral surgery, the IOP at the final follow-up measurement was equal to or lower than the IOP in the unoperated fellow eye. In the monkey that had bilateral surgery, both of the final IOPs were lower than the preoperative ones.