[A prospective study of postoperative aqueous flare in trabeculectomy alone versus phacotrabeculectomy]

To compare trabeculectomy alone with phacotrabeculectomy in postoperative aqueous flare.

Aqueous flare was prospectively measured using a laser flare-cell meter in open-angle glaucoma patients with cataract undergoing trabeculectomy with either mitomycin C or phacotrabeculectomy with mitomycin C. Flare was measured before surgery and at 2 and 4 weeks after surgery.

Twenty-four patients who underwent trabeculectomy and 26 patients who underwent phacotrabeculectomy completed the study. There were no significant differences in flare values between the two groups at any point. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that exfoliation glaucoma (odds ratio = 8.978; p = 0.0028) and postoperatively shallow anterior chamber (odds ratio = 15.539 ; p = 0.0074) were risk factors for high values of aqueous flare at 2 weeks after surgery.

Combined phacoemulsification does not enhance postoperative aqueous flare in trabeculectomy. Exfoliation glaucoma and postoperative shallow anterior chamber are factors in the elevation of aqueous flare.