Researchers in New York have reported the real-world reoperation rate for trabeculectomy with mitomycin C, tube shunt, Trabectome (Neomedix) and transcleral cyclophotocoagulation within a 90-day postoperative period and found an overall reoperation rate of 2.4%.

The study examined 622 glaucoma procedures performed on 600 eyes in 525 patients. Of these surgeries, 275 were trabeculectomy with mitomycin C, 253 were placement of a tube shunt, 33 were cyclophotocoagulation and 61 were trabectome procedures.

In total, post-op complications requiring reoperation developed in 15 patients. Of these 15 patients, seven were from the trabeculectomy with mitomycin C group and eight patients from the tube shunt group.

Five patients developed bleb leaks, three developed serous choroidal effusions, three had tube exposure and one patient each had tube retraction, persistent iritis from the iris touching the tube and encapsulation around the tube.

The researchers believe that selecting the most appropriate glaucoma operation involves balancing the risks of adverse events and the benefit of intraocular pressure reduction for an individual patient. Still, they found that the overall reoperation rate was low and comparable between the trabeculectomy and tube shunt groups as well as consistent with prior published results.