[Releasable sutures for scleral flap in trabeculectomy].

Releasable sutures for scleral flaps in trabeculectomies were performed on 20 eyes of 15 patients. The sutures were removed on the 3rd to 14th post-operative days. The anterior chambers of 19 eyes (95%) were reformed within 24 hours, post-operatively, the mean remote intraocular pressure (IOP) was 1.71 +/- 0.38 kPa and 17 eyes (85%) had functional conjunctival blebs of filtration. In comparison with the control group, there are very significant differences in the duration for reformation of anterior chamber and remote level of IOP (P < 0.005, < 0.001). The procedure has the advantages of maintaining a deep anterior chamber during the early postoperative period and of facilitating long-term functional filtration.