Therapeutic ultrasound for the treatment of glaucoma

We present a summary of the results obtained on 1142 treatments of 1072 eyes treated in our hospital during the last 5 years. Ultrasound has been used to treat 843 eyes with refractory glaucoma and also to restore failed trabeculectomy filtering blebs in 229 eyes. The single treatment success rate with success defined as an IOP > or = 20 mm Hg was 59% at one year and 46% at 3 years. In cases of failed blebs, ultrasound treatment performed 3 to 12 weeks after trabeculectomy revived the blebs of 82% of the phakic eyes when 5 FU subconjunctival injections were performed in the following days.