[Evaluating the effectiveness and safety of diode laser trans-scleral thermotherapy of the ciliary body as a treatment for refractory glaucoma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of diode laser trans-scleral thermotherapy (TSTT) in cyclodestruction for refractory glaucoma (RG). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The proposed cyclodestructive procedure was performed on 87 patients with severe and terminal RG (stages III and IV) at power levels of 0.4-0.5 W with exposure times of 15-25 seconds. RESULTS: The incidence of severe inflammatory response was less than that after well-known cyclodestructive procedures. The average reduction of intraocular pressure at the first day after surgery (considering all observations) was 10.45 +/- 7.23 mmHg. In all cases after TSTT of the ciliary body the pain resolved within the first day. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of the new method is comparable to that of other methods of cyclodestruction, however, the proposed TSTT technique is much safer than the conventional trans-scleral cyclophotocoagulation.