Low-dose trabeculoplasty

We treated 21 eyes (18 patients) with open-angle glaucoma by low-dose laser trabeculoplasty consisting of 25 laser burns spaced over one quadrant (90 degrees) of the trabecular meshwork. After one month these eyes showed an average decreased in intraocular pressure of 6.86 +/- 2.95 mm Hg. Sixteen eyes underwent a second treatment consisting of an additional 25 laser burns spaced over a second quadrant of the trabecular meshwork. Intraocular pressure decreased an additional 3.56 +/- 2.94 mm Hg in these eyes. Although low-dose trabeculoplasty decreases intraocular pressure by an amount similar to that achieved with standard laser trabeculoplasty treatment protocols, additional study is needed to determine whether complications are reduced and whether the beneficial effect is sustained over a long period of follow-up.