Three-year Outcomes of Pars Plana Ahmed and Baerveldt Glaucoma Implantations for Neovascular Glaucoma in Japanese Eyes.

PRECIS Tube shunt implantation via the pars plana was effective for neovascular glaucoma for at least 3 years, with few serious postoperative complications observed. PURPOSE To report 3-year outcomes of pars plana Ahmed and Baerveldt glaucoma implantation for neovascular glaucoma in Japanese eyes. METHODS This study examined 41 eyes of 39 patients who underwent tube shunt implantation via the pars plana with the Baerveldt glaucoma implant (BGI group, 26 eyes) or Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV group, 15 eyes) for neovascular glaucoma and who were followed up for over 3 years at Osaka Medical College between January 2009 and April 2016. Outcome measures were intraocular pressure (IOP, mmHg) at pre-surgery and at 6 months and 1, 2, and 3 years postoperative. Postoperative failure was defined as an IOP of >21▒mmHg or <5▒mmHg, further glaucoma surgery, or no light perception. RESULTS Mean IOPs at pre-surgery and at 3 years postoperative were 34.8±9.1 and 15.6±4.6 in the AGV group, and 36.9±9.2 and 12.8±5.5 in the BGI group. Mean antiglaucoma medication scores at 3 years postoperative were 1.3±1.4 in the AGV group and 0.4±0.8 in the BGI group (P=0.05). The number of eyes with a probability of failure at 6 months and at 2 and 3 years postoperative was 2, 3, and 4, respectively, in the BGI group, and 0, 1, and 2, respectively, in the AGV group. CONCLUSION Findings for neovascular glaucoma cases showed tube shunt implantation via the pars plana was effective. Equivalent good IOP reductions were noted in both groups, with the BGI group requiring fewer postoperative antiglaucoma medications compared to the AGV group. Furthermore, both groups exhibited few serious postoperative complications.