Efficacy and safety of high-dose ultrasound cyclo-plasty procedure in refractory glaucoma

AIM:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-dose ultrasound cyclo-plasty(UCP)for the treatment of refractory glaucoma in Chinese patients.METHODS:In this 6-month retrospective study,37 eyes of 37 patients suffering from severe glaucoma with uncontrolled intraocular pressure(IOP)of≥21 mm Hg underwent 8-s ultrasonic cyclocoagulation with ten active piezoelectric elements.A complete ophthalmic examination was performed before and at 1 d,1,3,6 mo after UCP.Therapeutic success was defined as IOP reduction from baseline≥20%and IOP≥5 mm Hg without adding new glaucoma medication compare to baseline at the 6-month follow-up visit.In addition to mean IOP at each followup visit,medications used and complications were also detected and compared to baseline.RESULTS:After UCP procedure,the mean IOP was significantly reduced(P<0.01)from the preoperative 44.1±11.9 mm Hgto postoperative 26.7±11.8 mm Hg at 3 mo,and 30.4±14.5 mm Hg at 6 mo.The overall mean IOP reductions achieved at 3 and 6 mo were 39%and 31%compared to baseline IOP.Sixty-one percent of patients responded well to UCP treatment with a mean IOP reduction of 48%at 3 mo and 42%at 6 mo.Ocular pain in most of patients were alleviated.No serious intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred.CONCLUSION:High-dose UCP treatment is an effective and safe procedure to reduce IOP in Chinese patients with severe glaucoma.