[Sinusotomy with intraoperative mitomycin C administration in selected eyes with advanced glaucomatous damage]

To study the surgical outcome of sinusotomy with intra-operative mitomycin C administration (0.04%, 3 minutes) in a total of 17 selected glaucoma eyes from 14 patients with advanced glaucomatous damage. Selection criteria were 1. an eye with visual field defect threatening the central fixation, while the central visual acuity of the contralateral eye was already impaired; and/or 2. an aphakic or pseudophakic eye with advanced glaucomatous damage in a patient of advanced age.

Patients' age, preoperative mean deviation (Humphrey 30-2 program) and intraocular pressure (IOP) averaged 63.5 +/- 11.1 (mean +/- standard deviation) years, -18.6 +/- 6.7 (mean +/- standard deviation) dB, and 20.7 +/- 4.1 (mean +/- standard deviation) mmHg, respectively.

No postoperative hypotony (< 5 mmHg) or deterioration of visual acuity equal to or more than 2 lines of Ishihara Visual Acuity Chart were encountered and the mean postoperative IOP ranged between 11 and 13 mmHg up to 18 months postoperatively with less medication than preoperatively. The success was defined as IOP < or = 15 mmHg without oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and with less medication than preoperatively. The life-table method analysis according to the above criteria yielded a success probability of 70.6 +/- 11.1 (mean +/- standard deviation) % (standard error) at 18 months postoperatively.