Ocular Hypotension and Epiretinal Membrane as Risk Factors for Visual Deterioration Following Glaucoma Filtering Surgery

PRECIS Postsurgical hypotension at 1 week and the presence of an epiretinal membrane (ERM) were significant risk factors for the deterioration of postsurgical visual acuity (VA) at 3 and 12 months, respectively. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of an ERM and postsurgical hypotension <6 mm Hg at 1 week on postsurgical VA loss. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 69 patients (69 eyes) who underwent trabeculectomy with adjunctive mitomycin C between 2017 and 2019 (mean follow-up period: 22.8 mo) were enrolled, and 14 parameters that could be associated with the deterioration of VA at 3 and 12 months were studied. RESULTS There was a significant association between VA loss at 3 months and postsurgical intraocular pressure at 1 week (P=0.006 by multiple regression) and hypotony maculopathy (P=0.024 by Fisher exact test). However, this association was lost at 12 months. Instead of postsurgical hypotension, the presence of an ERM was significantly associated with VA loss at 12 months (P=0.035 by Fisher exact test, and P=0.023 by logistic regression). CONCLUSIONS Postsurgical hypotension at 1 week was significantly associated with mid-term, but not long-term, postsurgical VA loss. The presence of an ERM, which was not a risk factor for mid-term acuity loss, was a significant risk factor for VA loss at 12 months.