Long-term Outcomes After Preoperative Intravitreal Injection of Bevacizumab Before Trabeculectomy for Neovascular Glaucoma.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the long-term (>3 y) outcomes of patients given preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection before trabeculectomy for neovascular glaucoma (NVG).

METHOD

We performed a retrospective study of a consecutive series of 12 eyes of 11 patients who underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C combined with preoperative IVB for NVG at our institution between April 2009 and April 2010. The mean follow-up period was 43.0±7.0 months (range, 36 to 51 mo), and all patients were followed up for at least 36 months. Surgical success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) of ≤21 mm Hg with or without topical ocular hypotensive medication.

RESULT

The cumulative surgical success rate was 83.3% at 1 year and 83.3% at 3 years. The mean IOP before surgery was 42.7±9.2 mm Hg, whereas the mean postoperative IOP was significantly lower, being 15.1±3.7 mm Hg at 1 year and 14.2±3.2 mm Hg at 3 years (P<0.01).In contrast, no significant change of the mean visual acuity as compared with the preoperative visual acuity was observed at the follow-up carried out 3 years after the surgery. Intraoperative and early postoperative hyphema was seen in 2 eyes. Recurrence of neovascularization requiring additional IVB injection was seen in 3 eyes.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative IVB injection before trabeculectomy for NVG might be effective over the long-term (>3 y) control of the IOP.