Risks Of Glaucoma Drainage Devices
Many of the risks of glaucoma drainage devices are shared with trabeculectomy. Some, however, are unique to these implants. Following is a list of the more worrisome or more common risks.
Many of the risks of glaucoma drainage devices are shared with trabeculectomy. Some, however, are unique to these implants. Following is a list of the more worrisome or more common risks.
The Tube Versus Trabeculectomy Study compared the Baerveldt® shunt to trabeculectomy[1]. How do we know that other “tubes” work as well as the Baerveldt®? Could some of the other glaucoma drainage devices work even better?
Evidence suggests that glaucoma drainage devices fail at a rate of approximately 10% per year.[3] This is similar to the rate of failure for trabeculectomy. By five years after surgery…
Non-Valved Glaucoma Drainage Devices such as Molteno and Baerveldt and Valved Glaucoma Drainage Devices such as Krupin and Ahmed
For over a century it has been known that fluid build-up in the eye can result in loss of vision. It should come as no surprise, then, that the idea of shunting aqueous fluid from the anterior chamber into the space between the sclera and conjunctiva (subconjunctival space) has been around almost that long.
Enough is now known about Trabeculectomy surgery to recognize that it tends to work better (and carry less risk) for certain groups of people.
Surgeons who do not perform (or only infrequently perform) Canaloplasty may have the impression that trabeculectomy cannot be performed after Canaloplasty. Why would this be so?