Short-term results of microhook ab interno trabeculotomy, a novel minimally invasive glaucoma surgery in Japanese eyes: initial case series.

PURPOSE

To report the first early postoperative results and safety profile after microhook ab interno trabeculotomy (μLOT).

METHODS

This initial retrospective observational case series included 24 consecutive glaucomatous eyes of 17 Japanese patients (7 men, 10 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 66.7 ± 17.9 years) who underwent μLOT. The trabeculotomy extent, surgical time, perioperative complications, interventions for complications and additional glaucoma surgeries during the follow-up for more than 3 months were collected by reviewing the medical and surgical records. The intraocular pressure (IOP), numbers of antiglaucoma medications, logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity (VA), anterior chamber (AC) flare and corneal endothelial cell density (CECD) were compared preoperatively and postoperatively.

RESULTS

The trabecular meshwork was incised for a mean of 3.6 ± 0.5 clock hours temporally, 3.7 ± 0.5 clock hours nasally and total 7.3 ± 0.6 clock hours during the 6.2 ± 1.6-min surgery. The mean preoperative IOP of 25.9 ± 14.3 mmHg and number of antiglaucoma medication of 3.3 ± 1.0 decreased significantly (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.005, respectively) to 14.7 ± 3.6 mmHg and 2.8 ± 0.8 at the final visit at 188.6 ± 68.8 days postoperatively. Compared with preoperatively, the final VA, AC flare and CECD did not change significantly. Hyphema with niveau formation (nine eyes, 38%) and washout of hyphema (two eyes, 8%) were the most common postoperative complication and intervention, respectively. At the final visit, 19 eyes (79%) achieved successful IOP control of 18 mmHg or less and a 15% reduction or greater.

CONCLUSION

Microhook trabeculotomy normalizes the IOP during the early postoperative period in patients with glaucoma.