[Simultaneous pars plana vitrectomy and glaucoma drainage device implant]

To evaluate intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual acuity (VA) results after glaucoma drainage device (GDD) implantation combined with simultaneous pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

Retrospective review of 8 eyes (7 patients). The diagnosis was neovascular glaucoma (NVG) secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy in 4 eyes, in a which a double plate Molteno implant was placed, and glaucoma secondary (GS) to complicated cataract surgery in 3 eyes and penetrating trauma in one eye, in which a glaucoma Ahmed valve was implanted.

Mean preoperative IOP was 35.77 mmHg (20-50) and 11.5 mmHg (2-20) postoperatively, and mean number hypotensive drugs was decreased from 2.33 (0-3) before surgery to 0.62 (0-3) after it. Preoperative VA in NVG was light perception or counting fingers, and it was lost in three eyes. In GS, VA before surgery was below 0.1 in all eyes, and three months after surgery mean VA was 0.42 (0.1-0.8). Mean follow-up was 10.12 months (5-27). The complications were tube obstruction in two cases, one of these presenting also a suprachoroidal hemorrage and ptisis bulbi, plate exposure in one case, and bullous keratopathy as a late complication in another eye.

The VA and IOP were well controlled with this procedure in GS. In NVG, IOP was controlled, but visual results were poor due to complications and the underlying pathology.