Outcomes of Wider Area Bleb Revision Using Bleb Knife With Adjunctive Mitomycin C.

PRECIS: Wider area bleb revision using bleb knife with adjunctive mitomycin C (MMC) had a good success rate, according to strict success criteria, except in patients with neovascular glaucoma (NVG).

PURPOSE: We determined the efficacy of wider area bleb revision after filtering surgery using bleb knife with adjunctive MMC.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

In this retrospective single-center study, we analyzed 86 patients with glaucoma (46 primary open-angle, 18 exfoliations, 13 secondary, and 9 neovascular) after bleb revision using bleb knife with adjunctive MMC after a minimum follow-up of 6 months. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed. The main outcome measure was a successful initial bleb revision using bleb knife with adjunctive MMC, arbitrarily defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) control <15 mm Hg without any IOP-lowering medication, additional bleb revision, or glaucoma surgery.

RESULTS

The mean time since the initial filtering surgery was 243.8 days, and the mean prebleb revision IOP was 22.0±4.8 mm Hg. The total cumulative success rate of the bleb revision using bleb knife with MMC was 49% at 6 months and 30% at 1 year. Patients with primary open-angle glaucoma had the best success rate (64% at 6 mo and 40% at 1 y). Log-rank tests revealed that patients with NVG had the worst prognosis (P<0.01). NVG was the only significant risk factor identified for short survival time (odds ratio, 167.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.78-15620.44; P=0.027).

CONCLUSION

Wider area bleb revision using bleb knife with adjunctive MMC had a good success rate, according to strict success criteria, except in patients with NVG.