Early postoperative visual acuity changes after trabeculectomy and factors affecting visual acuity.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma Surgery
• Visual Acuity Research

Background:

• Trabeculectomy is a common surgical procedure to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma patients.
• Early postoperative visual acuity (VA) changes are a concern after glaucoma surgery.
• Understanding the factors influencing VA recovery is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate early visual acuity (VA) changes following trabeculectomy.
• To assess the reversibility of these VA changes within three months post-surgery.
• To identify factors affecting VA outcomes after trabeculectomy.

Main Methods:

• A study included 292 eyes of patients who underwent initial trabeculectomy for open-angle glaucoma.
• Preoperative and postoperative VA and IOP were monitored for up to three months.
• Factors analyzed included foveal threshold (FT), shallow anterior chamber (SAC), and choroidal detachment (CD).

Main Results:

• Mean IOP was significantly reduced post-trabeculectomy.
• Mean corrected VA showed a significant decrease at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-surgery compared to pre-surgery.
• Serious vision loss (≥2 levels) occurred in 4.45% of eyes at 3 months.
• FT, SAC, and CD significantly affected VA changes.

Conclusions:

• Serious vision loss occurred in 4.45% of cases.
• Early postoperative VA changes after trabeculectomy may persist for at least three months.
• The impact of postoperative complications on VA varies depending on the type of glaucoma (POAG, NTG, XFG).