The Rate of Failure of Trabeculectomy and Tube Shunt Surgery in Eyes with Uveitic Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of failure of trabeculectomy versus tube shunt (TS) glaucoma surgery in eyes of patients with uveitis.

DESIGN

Multicenter retrospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Among 356 eyes of 288 patients with noninfectious inflammatory eye disease undergoing first incisional glaucoma surgery using one of the techniques, 244 eyes had TSs, and 112 eyes had trabeculectomy augmented with mitomycin-C (Trab-MMC).

METHODS

A standardized chart review was used to collect clinical data over time retrospectively. Cox regression analyses with adjustment for propensity score and intereye correlations were performed to compare the incidence of failure of glaucoma surgery between TS and Trab-MMC.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Failure of glaucoma surgery of the first 5 years postoperatively, defined as the following: (1) intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤ 5 or > 21 mmHg at 2 consecutive visits at least 90 days apart beginning 3 months after surgery; or (2) reoperation; or (3) complete blindness (no light perception).

RESULTS

The median age was 40.3 years (interquartile range [IQR], 13.4-57.3 years) in the TS group and 44.2 years (IQR, 29.0-58.9 years) in the Trab-MMC group. The median preglaucoma surgery IOP was 30.0 mmHg (IQR, 21-35.5 mmHg) in the TS group and 30.5 mmHg (IQR, 20-38 mmHg) in the Trab-MMC group. Anterior uveitis was the most common location of primary inflammation in both the TS (52.5%) and Trab-MMC 55.4%) groups. Failure was observed in the TS group in 23.5%, 27.1%, and 30.8% cumulatively through 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively, versus 16.1%, 25.6%, and 30.0%, respectively, in the Trab-MMC group. In the propensity score-adjusted Cox regression analysis, there was no significant difference in failure incidence rate between the TS and Trab-MMC groups (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-1.78; P = 0.77). Success without the requirement for IOP-lowering medicines was observed more frequently in the Trab-MMC group.

CONCLUSIONS

Tube shunt and Trab-MMC fail frequently with similar incidences when done as the first glaucoma surgery among eyes with uveitis over 5 years of follow-up, but there were more complete successes in the Trab-MMC group than in the TS group at 12, 24, and 36 months.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.