Estimation of risk-benefit ratio and comparison of post-operative efficacy results between trabeculectomy and canaloplasty.

PURPOSE: To estimate a risk-benefit ratio by comparing the efficacy of canaloplasty to trabeculectomy exclusively in pseudophakic eyes with primary open angle glaucoma.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

One hundred four eyes that underwent ab externo canaloplasty and 136 eyes that underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C 0.02% and collagen matrix implantation were retrospectively compared. The efficacy was evaluated by evaluating the absolute success rate (5 ⩽ intraocular pressure ⩽ 15 mmHg) and the qualified success rate (intraocular pressure ⩽15 mmHg) using the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. A meta-analysis to evaluate the relative risk of both procedures in relation to post-operative interventions was performed.

RESULTS

Mean intraocular pressure was significantly lower in both groups. Intraocular pressure decreased by 32.17% in the canaloplasty group and by 55.04% in the trabeculectomy group at 12 months (analysis of variance, p < 0.001). Medication use was lower in both groups (analysis of variance, p < 0.001) by the 12th month. The absolute success rate for canaloplasty was 20.19% of eyes compared to 52.21% of eyes with trabeculectomy (p < 0.0001). The qualified success rate was not statistically different between groups (p = 0.15). The relative risk ratio was not statistically different between groups (relative risk of 0.01 and weight of 49.65% for group A and relative risk of 0.0005 and weight of 50.35% for group B; p = 0.5). The hospitalization length was longer in trabeculectomy-treated patients (t-test, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The trabeculectomy group showed better results in terms of absolute success rate. However, canaloplasty may provide a better risk-benefit ratio in terms of qualified success rate, hospitalization time, and required post-operative interventions, since canaloplasty yielded equal or superior results compared to trabeculectomy.