Long-Term Outcome of Transscleral Diode Laser Cyclophotocoagulation for Refractory Glaucoma

Objective: To study success rate and long term efficacy and complications of the transscleral diode laser Cyclophotocoagulation in refractory glaucoma. Patients and Methods: In a noncomparative interventional case series, eyes of 9 patients with glaucoma resistant to conventional medical and surgical therapies were treated with transscleral diode laser Cyclophotocoagulation from 2004 to 2007. Criteria for success included intraocular pressure (IOP) of 21 mmHg or less with no devastating complications or need for further glaucoma surgery. Results: Mean IOP had dropped by 50.6 % from 47.03±11.22 mmHg before treatment to 13.2±7.1 mmHg after surgery (P<0.001). The mean number of antiglaucoma medications per eye dropped from 2.78±0.92 to 1.83±1.25 (p=0.0001). Twenty-five (31.6%) eyes suffered deterioration, 14 (17.7 %) maintained stability and 23 (29.1 %) exhibited improvement of visual acuity. Conclusions: Treatment with cyclophotocoagulation in patients with refractory glaucoma lead to increase in acuity and lower intraocular pressure. (Rawal Med J 2008;33:173-175).