Effects of laser trabeculoplasty on the human aqueous humor dynamics: a fluorophotometric study

Thirteen eyes, seven with primary open-angle glaucoma and six with capsular glaucoma, were treated with laser trabeculoplasty (a fluorophotometric examination was performed about one week prior to it). The intraocular pressure was reduced below 20 mm Hg in eight eyes, and the second fluorophotometric examination could be carried out in six successfully treated eyes about three months later. In the six successfully treated eyes, the pre-laser trabeculoplasty examination showed the following results: IOP: 22 +/- 2 mm Hg; the cornea-aqueous transfer coefficient for fluorescein: 0.32 +/- 0.10 hour-1; and the aqueous flow rate: 1.31 +/- 0.53 microliter min-1. The post-laser trabeculoplasty examination gave the following results: IOP: 15 +/- 2 mm Hg; the cornea-aqueous transfer coefficient: 0.29 +/- 0.08 hour-1; and the aqueous flow rate: 1.23 +/- 0.41 microliter min-1. No significant difference was found in the aqueous flow rate or the cornea-aqueous transfer coefficient before and after.