Extrusion-Free Survival Following Glaucoma Drainage Device Surgery Using EverPatch Plus^®: A Propensity Score-Weighted...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Innovation
• Glaucoma Management

Background:

• Glaucoma drainage device (GDD) surgery is a common treatment for refractory glaucoma.
• Patch extrusion is a potential complication following GDD implantation.
• EverPatch Plus (EPP) is a newer material for use as a scleral patch graft.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate extrusion-free survival after GDD surgery using EverPatch Plus (EPP).
• To compare EPP outcomes with conventional scleral patch grafts using propensity score-based survival analysis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series comparing 19 eyes with EPP and 105 control eyes with conventional grafts.
• Propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting were used to adjust for baseline differences.
• Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling were applied with 12-month censoring.

Main Results:

• Within 12 months, patch extrusion occurred in 3/19 EPP eyes and 12/105 conventional graft eyes.
• Estimated 12-month extrusion-free survival was 83.5% for EPP and 88.4% for conventional grafts (p=0.498).
• EPP use was not significantly associated with increased extrusion risk (HR ≈ 1.3).

Conclusions:

• Glaucoma drainage device surgery using EverPatch Plus shows comparable extrusion-free survival to conventional scleral patch grafts.
• Adjusted analysis indicates similar safety profiles regarding patch extrusion within the first year.
• EPP represents a viable alternative for scleral patching in GDD surgery.