A Case of Open-Angle Glaucoma Successfully Treated Using Canaloplasty

We report the case of a patient with open-angle glaucoma who underwent canaloplasty and subsequently maintained good intraocular pressure (IOP) control for the entire duration of the 4-year follow-up.

The patient was a 68-year-old man who was diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma and uncontrollable IOP at the Tokai University Hachioji Hospital in January 2011. Visual field examination revealed an arcuate visual field defect in the left eye, but no visual field defect in the right eye. In order to lower the IOP, canaloplasty was performed on his left eye.

There were no complications either during or after the surgery. The IOP values at 2 weeks, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years were, 13, 14, 18, 12, 10, 12, and 8 mmHg, respectively. No deteriorations in visual field or reductions in visual acuity were detected during this follow-up.There were no long-term complications such as cataract formation or exposure of the suture. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed that the trabecular meshwork was inwardly distended because of the intracanalicular suture in the affected eye.

Canaloplasty can be a safe and effective surgical method for lowering the IOP in glaucoma patients.