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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Transcanalicular Diode Laser-assisted Dacryocystorhinostomy for the Treatment of Primary Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction
Published on: October 13, 2017
Five-year results of trabeculectomy with mitomycin C
Henny J M Beckers1, Katja C Kinders, Carroll A B Webers
1University Eye Clinic, Academic Hospital Maastricht, P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands. hbec@soog.azm.nl
Background:
The long-term efficacy and safety of primary trabeculectomy with mitomycin C were retrospectively studied.
Methods:
Sixty eyes of 60 patients with severe glaucoma, 25 female and 35 male, with a mean age of 72.5 years who underwent primary trabeculectomy with mitomycin C between 1993 and 1995 were included. Glaucoma subtypes consisted of 42 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, 10 patients with normal-pressure glaucoma, 2 patients with chronic narrow-angle glaucoma, 5 patients with pigment dispersion syndrome and 1 patient with pseudoexfoliation syndrome. During surgery, mitomycin C 0.2 mg/ml was applied under the scleral flap for 3 min.
Results:
Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) decreased from 22.3+/-9.3 preoperatively to 12.6+/-3.5 mmHg postoperatively. With success defined as an IOP level of 15 mmHg or less, a success rate of 83.3% was obtained in the 1st year, dropping to 60% in the 6th year following trabeculectomy. Visual fields remained stable in 73.3% of cases during the follow-up period. LogMAR visual acuity increased from 0.2 to 0.4. Four eyes underwent cataract surgery prior to trabeculectomy. Thirteen eyes underwent cataract surgery during the follow-up period. Long-term complications were relatively mild and consisted of two cases of blebitis. Bleb reconstruction was performed in five eyes with overfiltration or bleb-related complaints.
Conclusions:
The present findings indicate that the additional use of mitomycin C may be justified in trabeculectomies in patients with severe glaucoma.
