Use of surodex in phacotrabeculectomy surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of Surodex (Oculex Pharmaceuticals, Sunnyvale, California) a drug delivery system incorporating 60 micrograms of dexamethasone in a pellet, in phacotrabeculectomy surgery.

DESIGN

Nonrandomized, prospective, interventional case series.

METHODS

Phacotrabeculectomy was performed on 37 Asian subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) using a standardized technique. All subjects received a Surodex pellet underneath the scleral flap. Results were compared with those of 31 POAG subjects who had undergone phacotrabeculectomy augmented with 50 mg/ml of intraoperative 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) during the same period.

RESULTS

Mean follow-up in months was 19.7 +/- 7.9 and 22.1 +/- 6.2 for the Surodex and 5-FU groups, respectively (P = .29). There was a 20.1% decrease in intraocular pressure in the Surodex group compared with 28.5% decrease in the 5-FU group (P = .6). Postoperative complications occurred in three cases (8.1%) and six cases (19.3%), respectively (P = .04).

CONCLUSIONS

Combined phacotrabeculectomy surgery augmented by intra-scleral placement of Surodex results in good control of IOP and a low incidence of complications.