[Clinical results of selective laser trabeculoplasty as adjunctive treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma patients].

PURPOSE: We retrospectively investigated the intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effects of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) as adjunctive treatment for glaucoma patients receiving maximal medical therapy.

METHODS

Thirty-four eyes of 34 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma who had no prior surgical therapy and has received SLT for the first time were included in this study. The results of their laser treatment were analyzed retrospectively. The age of patients was 61.1 +/- 13.0 (mean +/- standard deviation) years, the follow-up period was 7.1 +/- 4.8 months, and the number of medications before SLT was 3.5 +/- 0.7. A total of 57.0 +/- 11.5 spots were placed over 180 degrees of the trabecular meshwork at energy levels ranging from 0.5 to 1.4 mJ per pulse.

RESULTS

The IOP significantly decreased from 20.9 +/- 3.4 mmHg at baseline to 18.7 +/- 4.6 mmHg at 1 month after SLT (p < 0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that success rates at 6 and 12 months after SLT were 48.6% and 23.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Although SLT significantly decreas ed the IOPs in Japanese patients with primary open-angle glaucoma receiving maximal medical therapy, the effects may be for a limited time only, as adjunctive treatment.