Bleb revision for resolution of hypotony maculopathy following primary trabeculectomy

To describe a surgical method of bleb revision for hypotony maculopathy, to evaluate its long-term efficacy, and to define the relationship between the duration of hypotony maculopathy and visual acuity (VA) outcomes.

Noncomparative retrospective case series.

Medical records of 33 patients with hypotony maculopathy who underwent primary bleb revision between June 1999 and September 2012 by a single surgeon at an academic medical center were reviewed. Hypotony maculopathy was characterized by the presence of a decrease in VA, retinal striae, and macular edema in the setting of decreased intraocular pressure (IOP) after glaucoma filtering surgery. The main outcome measure was final logMAR VA after bleb revision at 6 and 12 months.

Thirty-three eyes of 33 patients were followed for 4.68 ± 3.56 years (range 0.55-12.69 years). Mean duration of hypotony maculopathy was 4.98 ± 8.93 months. LogMAR VA improved from 0.78 ± 0.40 at baseline to 0.34 ± 0.34 (P < .001) 6 months after bleb revision and to 0.45 ± 0.55 (P < .001) 12 months after bleb revision. Spearman rank coefficient (rs) correlating duration of hypotony and BCVA at both 6 and 12 months was significant (P = .015 and rs = 0.426, P = .028 and rs = 0.416, respectively). Mean IOP increased from 3.51 ± 2.27 mm Hg to 12.06 ± 4.06 mm Hg (P < .001) at 12 months. Fifty-two percent were on no antiglaucoma medications at last follow-up. Five eyes (15%) required a second bleb revision to correct persistent hypotony maculopathy.

Surgical repair for hypotony maculopathy provided a significant improvement in VA at 6 and 12 months. Surgical bleb revision is associated with good long-term control of IOP and improved VA in eyes with hypotony maculopathy after previous glaucoma filtering surgery.