Rapid visual recovery and long-term intraocular pressure control after donor scleral patch grafting for trabeculectomy-induced hypotony maculopathy.

PURPOSE: To report on a 21-year-old man who had persistent hypotony maculopathy eight months after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C.

METHODS

He was treated by excising the filtering bleb, placing a donor scleral patch graft over the trabeculectomy site, and bringing conjunctiva superior to the previous bleb over the patch graft.

RESULTS

He had rapid resolution of his hypotony accompanied by an increase in visual acuity from 4/200 preoperatively to 20/80 at one day, and 20/20 at three months postoperatively. He also established and maintained a filtration bleb which kept his intraocular pressure in the mid teens without the use of medication.

CONCLUSION

Scleral patch grafting may provide rapid resolution of visual loss secondary to hypotony maculopathy.