Results of laser trabeculoplasty performed by residents

Although there have been numerous reports on the results of argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) since 1979, few have reported the results of this mode of therapy in an ophthalmology resident clinic population. We retrospectively studied 32 eyes of 25 people with phakic open-angle glaucoma who had received ALT performed by ophthalmology residents at University Hospitals of Cleveland under the supervision of a staff physician. Subgroups based on race, initial (pretreatment) intraocular pressure, and follow-up interval were analyzed. There was a significant difference in mean intraocular pressure from pretreatment to posttreatment for all subgroups, except when the initial intraocular pressure was 36 mm Hg or greater. Argon laser trabeculoplasty performed by residents in a university training program can obtain comparable results with those reported from major glaucoma referral practices.