The treatment of a hypertrophic bleb after XEN gel implantation with the “Drainage Channel with sutures” method: a case report

BACKGROUND: The placement of a XEN gel stent is an ab-interno, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery which provides a subconjunctival drainage pathway and decreases intraocular pressure (IOP). CASE PRESENTATION: A 75-year-old male patient who had undergone XEN45 gel implantation after phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation appealed to the clinic. A filtration bleb was seen that extended through the nasal 180 degrees of the eye which caused ectropion of the lower eyelid. The value of the IOP was 12 mm Hg (mmHg). By the “Drainage Channel with Sutures” method this complication was effectively treated. As with every new method, there is a lack of knowledge about long-term outcomes in terms of effectiveness, technique and complications. CONCLUSION: The “Drainage Channel with Sutures” method has not been described in the literature yet. By this minimal invasive method, hypertrophic bleb complication of XEN gel implant has been successfully treated.