Argon laser trabeculoplasty medical therapy to prevent the intraocular pressure rise associated with argon laser trabeculoplasty.

A prospective, randomized, investigator-masked, parallel study compared the capability of five different intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering agents to prevent acute IOP elevations following argon laser trabeculoplasty. Two hundred sixty eyes (patients) received either apraclonidine 1% (125 eyes), pilocarpine hydrochloride 4% (37 eyes), timolol maleate 0.5% (35 eyes), dipivefrin 0.1% (32 eyes), or acetazolamide 250 mg (31 eyes) both 1 hour before and immediately following 360-degree argon laser trabeculoplasty. Apraclonidine was the only medication that significantly decreased mean IOP from baseline. Only 4 (3%) of the apraclonidine-treated eyes had IOP rises greater than 5 mm Hg. This frequency was significantly lower than that found in eyes treated with acetazolamide (39%), dipivefrin (38%), pilocarpine (33%), or timolol (32%).