The STARflo™ glaucoma implant: a single-centre experience at 24 months

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma Surgery
• Medical Device Evaluation

Background:

• Open-angle glaucoma requires effective intraocular pressure (IOP) management.
• Treatment-refractory cases often necessitate surgical intervention.
• STARflo™ is a device evaluated for glaucoma surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess 24-month outcomes of STARflo™ implantation in patients with moderate to advanced open-angle glaucoma.
• To evaluate the efficacy of STARflo™ in reducing and maintaining intraocular pressure.
• To determine if STARflo™ meets predefined success criteria for glaucoma treatment.

Main Methods:

• 32 patients (40 eyes) with medically resistant high IOP underwent STARflo™ implantation.
• Follow-up was conducted for 24 months post-implantation.
• Success was defined by normal IOP with or without topical medications.

Main Results:

• STARflo™ failed to achieve satisfactory IOP reduction in 70% of eyes at 24 months.
• 12.5% of eyes experienced corneal decompensation post-implantation.
• 45% of eyes required further glaucoma procedures to manage IOP.

Conclusions:

• STARflo™ implantation did not meet success criteria for treating refractory open-angle glaucoma.
• The device appears ineffective as an alternative to filtering surgery.
• Further investigation into alternative surgical options is warranted.