Outcomes and risk factors for failure after trabeculectomy in Taiwanese patients: medical chart reviews from 2006 to 2017

Aims To determine long-term outcomes and risk factors for failure after mitomycin C (MMC)-augmented initial trabeculectomy (IT) in Taiwanese patients. Methods We reviewed medical records of patients with glaucoma undergoing IT during December 2006–December 2016. We defined complete success as an intraocular pressure (IOP) of >5 or ≤21 mm Hg or IOP reduction of ≥20% from baseline without supplemental medications and qualified success as the aforementioned IOP levels with or without supplemental medications. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox proportional analyses evaluated success rates and risk factors for failure, respectively. Results We enrolled 190 patients (237 eyes; mean age: 54.0±15.3 years; mean postoperative follow-up period: 68.4±35.1 months). Mean IOP and glaucoma medications decreased from 22.2±10.8 to 14.4±5.2 mm Hg (p 70 years had higher complete success rates than did those aged ≤70 years. Five cases (2.11%) exhibited bleb-associated complications. Conclusion Despite satisfactory long-term success rates, most eyes needed medication for IOP control, supporting the notion of predisposed scarring vitality in patients of Chinese ethnicity following MMC-augmented trabeculectomy.