Abstract:

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the emergence of aqueous drainage has achieved good results in the treatment of refractory glaucoma, but some complications related to the materials may occur after implantation, such as the inflammatory reaction leads to reduced formation of aqueous humor, thus resulting in low intraocular pressure and shallow anterior chamber.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and biocompatibility of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation for refractory glaucoma.
METHODS: Thirty-two cases (32 eyes) with refractory glaucoma underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation, including 12 cases of neovascular glaucoma, 6 cases of aphakic glaucoma, 4 cases of uvetic glaucoma, 4 cases of traumatic glaucoma and 6 cases of failed filtering operation. The follow-up period was 6-24 months.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The preoperative intraocular pressure was 4.655-9.044 kPa with the average of (5.61±     1.29) kPa. After the operation, the average level of intraocular pressure was (2.85±1.16) mmHg at the last follow-up visit. The total success rate was 84.38%, including 83.3% for neovascular glaucoma and 85% for the others. The visual acuity was improved in 10 eyes at different levels with the best visual acuity of 0.3. The common postoperative complications included transient ocular hypotension in 6 cases, shallow of anterior chamber in 6 cases, hyphema in 4 cases, obstruction of the inflow tube in 3 cases. The complications were improved after symptomatic treatment. Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation is a safe and effective method for reducing the intraocular pressure, but the complication incidence is increasing, which may be result from the insufficiency of drainage device design and materials.