Diode laser cyclophotocoagulation in refractory glaucoma

A retrospective analysis was made of the first 19 eyes of 19 patients with intractable glaucoma treated with contact diode cyclophotocoagulation. We assessed intraocular pressure (IOP) and number of glaucoma medications. The mean follow-up was 4 months (range 1 to 11 months). Mean IOP's decreased from 31.7 +/- 14.6 pre-diode treatment to 23.7 +/- 16.9 mmHg at the last follow-up visit after treatment (p = 0.02). The mean number of medications required decreased from 1.9 before to 1.3 after treatment (p = 0.03). The study suggests that diode cyclophotocoagulation is an effective and safe procedure in eyes with refractory glaucoma.