Ab interno pulsed dye laser sclerostomy for the treatment of glaucoma: preliminary results of a new technique.

Ab interno gonioscopic laser sclerostomy in conjunction with iontophoretic staining of the sclera was performed on 12 patients with end-stage glaucoma in order to ascertain the feasibility of the technique. In 9 of 12 patients (75%) a visible sclerostomy was formed and mean intraocular pressure (IOP) dropped from 36.3 mmHg prior to treatment to 25.3 mmHg at 1 week, a fall of 30.3%. The drop in IOP was maintained throughout a 3-month follow-up period, with 6 of 11 patients having IOP controlled below 21 mmHG. The procedure is described together with our preliminary results, and possible advantages and areas of improvement for the technique are discussed.