The effects of topical mitomycin on glaucoma filtration surgery in rabbits

A prospective, randomized, double-masked, and placebo controlled study was performed to examine the effects of topically applied mitomycin on the success of full thickness filtration surgery in 23 rabbits. Both eyes of each rabbit had surgery by the same surgeon. After surgery, the experimental eye received a single subconjunctival injection of mitomycin (0.2 mg), and 50 microliters of a 0.2 mg/cc solution of mitomycin topically four time daily. The fellow control eyes were treated with sterile water. The mean intraocular pressure reduction from baseline exhibited by the experimental eyes was greater than that observed for the control eyes. The difference in intraocular pressure reduction between the two groups was statistically significant from post-operative day three through day 21 (p less than .05). With survival analysis, fewer failures were noted in the experimental eyes compared to control eyes for each time period throughout the study (p less than .005). The experimental eyes also demonstrated a longer time to bleb failure although this difference did not achieve statistical significance (p less than .10). An additional five rabbits were treated with the experimental drop in one eye and sterile water in the fellow eye but underwent no surgery. No differences between eyes were noted with regard to intraocular pressure change or anterior segment pathology. These data demonstrated the efficacy of mitomycin in promoting filtration surgical success in rabbits.