Ciliary surgery for glaucoma

Ciliary Body excision for the treatment of intractable glaucoma has been performed in 64 eyes (75 operations) between 1975 and 1985. The indications, intra-and postoperative complications and the results are presented. In the majority of the patients the indication for surgery was a secondary closed angle glaucoma with aphakia. All the eyes had been previously operated on at least three times, some having had as many as seven other antiglaucomatous procedures before the partial excision of the pars plicata of the ciliary body. The preoperative intraocular pressures pressures ranged from minimally 35 mm Hg to over 50 mm Hg. Intraoperative complications such as vitreous loss and vitreous haemorrhages from ciliary body vessels were reduced to a minimum by the use of a Fleiringa-ring, a paracentesis and an extensive cauterisation of the ciliary body tissue. The postoperative complication of scleral wound dehiscence was reduced by a double scleral wound closure. Postoperatively the intraocular pressure was reduced to a satisfactory level in nearly 80% of cases.