Argon laser treatment of the anterior chamber angle for increased intraocular pressure

Sixty-five eyes of 63 patients with increased intraocular pressure which was resistant to medical therapy were treated with argon laser and were then followed up for 3-12 months. From 70 to 110 burns were directed from 360 degrees around the chamber angle into or immediately posterior to the pigmented trabecular band. The power settings used were 1200-2200 mW, exposure time 0.1 seconds and beam diameter 50 microns. There was exfoliation syndrome in 35 eyes. Post-laser control of the intraocular pressure was achieved in 31 of these eyes. The average decrease in intraocular pressure was about 40%. Thirty eyes were without exfoliation syndrome. Twenty-six were controlled post-laser. The average intraocular pressure decreased by about 35%. The outflow measured tonographically improved in both groups. The final pressure drop did not emerge in some of the patients until several weeks after the laser therapy. The treatment caused no essential complications.