Prognostic factors and postoperative course following single-plate Molteno implantation

We evaluated potential preoperative and early postoperative prognostic indicators for chronic intraocular pressure control in 38 consecutive glaucoma patients undergoing single-plate Molteno implantation. Six months following surgery 22 patients had an intraocular pressure < or = 18 mm Hg and were considered successes. Twelve patients had an intraocular pressure > 18 mm Hg and were considered failures. Factors such as age, race, sex, type of glaucoma, phakic status, eye treated, intraocular pressure, bleb elevation, or number of glaucoma medicines were not significantly related to postoperative intraocular pressure control (p > 0.05). Postoperatively a significant difference in intraocular pressure was not observed between success and failure groups until three (13.8 +/- 5.4 versus 20.8 +/- 6.4 mm Hg, p = 0.010) and six (11.2 +/- 3.3 mm Hg versus 21.2 +/- 1.2 mm Hg, p < 0.001) months. Approximately 50% of patients who had an intraocular pressure > 20 mm Hg and 75% of those who measured < 20 mm Hg at any given examination in the early postoperative period were controlled six months postoperatively. Patients controlled at six months maintained control for as long as 43 months postoperatively. This study indicates that in the early postoperative period after a single-plate Molteno implant some patients have an ocular hypertensive phase but may ultimately be controlled, whereas most patients with an intraocular pressure within the normal range maintain control long-term.