[Laser sclerostomy: an alternative to current surgical filtering procedures. Experimental studies]

A new filtering procedure, laser sclerostomy, was performed in 12 rabbit eyes by combined application of an argon and a YAG laser. In 10 cases an open fistula connecting the anterior chamber and the subconjunctival space could be demonstrated histologically. As neither the conjunctiva nor the globe are incised "ab externo," the possibility of an intraoperative infection is excluded and the risk of postoperative scar formation is minimized. Consequently, laser sclerostomy promises a new approach to glaucoma control in human eyes, too.