Filtering surgery in childhood glaucoma.

A review of 38 eyes of 24 patients receiving filtration surgery for childhood glaucoma is presented. A total of 54 procedures were performed, including both thermal sclerostomies and trabeculectomies. Successful control of intraocular pressure was obtained in 20 eyes (52%). Average follow-up time was four years, two months. Filtration surgery is seen as a useful technique in the treatment of childhood glaucoma when goniotomy fails. It also is useful in those conditions where the success rate of goniotomy is expected to be low.