Glaucoma Surgery with Soaked Sponges with Mitomycin C vs Sub-Tenon Injection: Short-term Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma Surgery
• Surgical Techniques

Background:

• Trabeculectomy is a primary surgical procedure for reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma patients.
• Scar formation post-trabeculectomy is a significant factor contributing to surgical failure.
• Mitomycin C (MMC) is utilized to inhibit scar tissue formation and improve surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and safety of two methods for delivering MMC during trabeculectomy: conventional soaked sponges versus sub-Tenon injection.
• To evaluate outcomes, success rates, complication profiles, and the number of interventions required for each technique.

Main Methods:

• An observational retrospective study involving 79 eyes of 64 participants undergoing glaucoma surgery with MMC.
• Group I: Conventional MMC (0.03%) soaked sponges applied to the scleral flap for 3 minutes.
• Group II: Sub-Tenon injection of 0.1 mL of MMC (0.03%). Data included IOP, CCT, drug usage, complications, and interventions.

Main Results:

• Both techniques resulted in a significant decrease in IOP post-surgery (p < 0.001).
• No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of demographics, follow-up duration, baseline IOP, CCT, medication reduction, success rates, interventions, or complications (p > 0.05).
• Trabeculectomy was performed in 53.17% and phacotrabeculectomy in 46.83% of the eyes.

Conclusions:

• Sub-Tenon injection of MMC is a safe and effective alternative to the conventional soaked sponge method in trabeculectomy.
• The sub-Tenon injection technique potentially reduces surgical time and risks associated with sponge handling.
• Both methods demonstrate equivalent surgical efficacy in managing glaucoma and reducing IOP.