Tube extender for revision of glaucoma drainage implants

Our purpose was to evaluate the clinical experience with a glaucoma drainage implant tube extender.

This was a noncomparative retrospective case series of 10 patients treated with a Tube Extender (New World Medical, Inc, Rancho Cucamonga, CA), with average follow-up of 23 months.

The majority of patients (n=7) were treated for tube retraction, 1 had kinked tube, 1 had tube exposure and malposition, and 1 had inadvertently cut tube. Implant types included the Ahmed glaucoma valve (n=7), Molteno implant (n=2), and Baerveldt implant (n=1). The mean intraocular pressure and number of glaucoma medications were significantly reduced postoperatively (P=0.007 and 0.001, respectively). Intraocular pressure or glaucoma medications decreased in 9 patients, and all patients achieved surgical success.

The Tube Extender is a useful device when the tubes of glaucoma drainage implants from different manufacturers require lengthening.