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Evaluation of Changes in Ocular Tissue Elasticity Before and After Trabeculectomy Using Shear Wave Elastography
Çiğdem Deniz Genç1, Emre Aydın1, Şaban Kılıç2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Samsun University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun 55200, Türkiye.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
|May 13, 2026
Summary
Trabeculectomy significantly alters visual acuity, corneal thickness, and intraocular pressure. However, ocular tissue elasticity, measured by shear wave elastography (SWE), showed no significant early postoperative changes, suggesting incomplete biomechanical adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Glaucoma management often requires surgical intervention like trabeculectomy.
- Monitoring postoperative changes in ocular biomechanics is crucial for assessing surgical outcomes.
- Shear wave elastography (SWE) offers a non-invasive method to evaluate tissue elasticity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare time-dependent changes in visual acuity (VA), central corneal thickness (CCT), intraocular pressure (IOP), and ocular tissue elasticity using SWE.
- To assess the biomechanical adaptation of ocular tissues in the early postoperative period after trabeculectomy.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study with 22 glaucoma patients undergoing trabeculectomy.
- Repeated measurements of VA, CCT, and IOP at preoperative, 1-week, and 1-month postoperative time points.
- Ocular tissue elasticity evaluated using SWE, measuring lens (LSWE), vitreous (VSWE), optic nerve head (OSWE), and retrobulbar fat (RSWE).
Main Results:
- Significant postoperative changes observed in VA (p=0.001), CCT (p=0.001), and IOP (p=0.001).
- No statistically significant differences were found in LSWE, VSWE, OSWE, and RSWE between preoperative and early postoperative measurements (p>0.05).
Conclusions:
- Ocular tissue biomechanical adaptation may be incomplete in the early postoperative phase after trabeculectomy.
- SWE shows potential as a non-invasive tool for postoperative monitoring and predicting surgical success in glaucoma patients.
