Long-term Clinical Outcomes of Ahmed and Baerveldt Drainage Device Surgery for Pediatric Glaucoma Following Cataract Surgery.

PRECIS

In this retrospective case series, both Baerveldt and Ahmed glaucoma drainage devices resulted in good long-term outcomes in eyes with pediatric glaucoma following cataract surgery (GFCS).

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to describe the long-term safety and efficacy of primary glaucoma drainage device surgery in patients with pediatric GFCS.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified 28 eyes of 28 patients with GFCS that underwent tube shunt surgery with the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve or Baerveldt Glaucoma Implant. The primary outcome measure was a surgical failure, defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) >21 mm Hg or not reduced by 20% below baseline on 2 consecutive follow-up visits after 3 months, IOP <5 mm Hg on 2 consecutive follow-up visits after 3 months, and reoperation for glaucoma.

RESULTS

The mean duration between cataract removal and the diagnosis of glaucoma was 3.6±1.5 years. Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated a mean time to failure of 41.9±2.1 months after drainage device surgery. The cumulative probability of failure at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years was 3.6%, 19%, 28%, and 28%. IOP was significantly decreased from 29.3±4.1 mm Hg preoperatively to 17.6±1.6 mm Hg at the final follow-up visit (P<0.001). The number of glaucoma medications at baseline was 3.1±0.6, which decreased to 2.1±0.7 at the final visit (P=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Glaucoma drainage device surgery results in good long-term outcomes in patients with GFCS.