Scleral flap sutures and the development of shallow or flat anterior chamber after trabeculectomy.

To determine whether closing the scleral flap with extra sutures can reduce the risk of overfiltration after trabeculectomy, we divided 339 trabeculectomies into three groups based on the number of scleral flap sutures used in the procedure, and studied the postoperative complications and results. The incidence of shallow or flat anterior chamber was significantly less in eyes that had received seven to nine sutures than in those that had received from two to six. Also, the incidence of cornea-lens touch was significantly less in the eyes with seven to nine sutures (P = .02, Fisher Exact Test). This study suggests that extra scleral flap sutures (in combination with laser suture lysis) is a safe and effective method of significantly reducing the risk of overfiltration after trabeculectomy.