Continuous wave argon laser iridectomy in angle-closure glaucoma.

By using a continuous wave argon laser in a multiburn fashion, successful iridectomies were achieved in 42 out of 45 phakic eyes with either acute or chronic angle-closure glaucoma. Five of the successful procedures required multiple sittings on different days or abandonment of the primary treatment site in favor of an alternate site, or both, to attain patency. Within the immediate postoperative period, ten eyes needed retreatment to eliminate moderate pigment proliferation at the perforation site. The procedure was performed on an outpatient basis under topical anesthesia, usually required less than one-half hour for completion, and resulted in only minimal complications. Therefore, continuous wave argon laser iridectomy appears to present a viable alternative to surgical iridectomy for the definitive treatment of angle-closure glaucoma, although long-term evaluation of this modality of therapy is presently unavailable.