Long-term Efficacy of Trabeculectomy on Chinese Patients with Pigmentary Glaucoma: A Prospective Case Series Observational Study

BACKGROUND: Though trabeculectomy is often performed on patients with medically refractive pigmentary glaucoma (PG), the clinical outcomes of surgical treatment on PG remain unknown. The aim of this study was to summarize the long-term efficacy and safety of trabeculectomy on PG. METHODS: This was a prospective case series observational study. Eighteen consecutive PG patients were followed up for 8 years after trabeculectomy from May 2006 to April 2007. Visual acuity (VA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, Humphrey visual field analysis (VFA), and stereoscopic funduscopy were performed on admission and every 6 months after the surgery. Postoperative IOP, VA, BCVA, VFA, adjunctive anti-glaucoma medication, treatment-related side-effects, changes in blebs, and main clinical findings in the anterior segment of PG were recorded and compared with the baseline. RESULTS: Eighteen PG eyes from 18 patients, with average preoperative IOP of 34.5 ± 4.7 mmHg (range: 21–47 mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) were enrolled in this study. All enrolled patients completed the follow-up visits and required examinations. Eight years after trabeculectomy, all surgical eyes (18/18) had satisfactory IOP control with an average of 13.7 ± 2.5 mmHg (range: 9–19 mmHg), which was significantly lower than baseline (P = 0.001). Majority (15/18) of the PG eyes had stable VA, BCVA, VFA, and optic disc cupping parameters. Functional blebs still existed in 12/18 of the PG eyes at the last follow-up visit. Unanimously, pigmentation in the anterior segment attenuated with time after surgical treatment. No severe side-effects were recorded in any of the surgical eyes. CONCLUSIONS: All surgical PG eyes in this study had satisfactory IOP control 8 years after the surgery with well-preserved visual function. The long-term efficacy and safety of trabeculectomy are promising in PG patients.