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Prcis: Intraluminal 3-0 Supramid stent placement can be an effective long-term solution for hypotony after glaucoma drainage device surgery. This procedure may obviate the need for conjunctival dissection. In some cases, additional procedures are required., Purpose: To describe the utility of implantation of a multifilament polyamide suture (Supramid) in the tube lumen to reverse hypotony after glaucoma drainage device (GDD) surgery., Patients: Patients who underwent tube revision with intraluminal placement of a 3-0 Supramid stent, with or without external ligature, to manage hypotony following GDD surgery between January 2010 and October 2020., Methods: Resolution of hypotony was defined as IOP >5 mm Hg and the absence of hypotony-related structural abnormalities. Overall success was the absence of failure criteria (IOP ≤5 mm Hg, >21 mm Hg, or <20% reduction below baseline IOP after 3 months for 2 consecutive study visits; additional glaucoma surgery; or loss of light perception), with or without adjunctive ocular hypotensive therapy., Results: Nine eyes of 9 patients underwent placement of a 3-0 Supramid stent with a resolution of hypotony in all eyes with a mean follow-up duration of 33.3 ±24.0 months. Overall success was achieved in 7 of 9 eyes. Four eyes required intervention after stent placement: 1 eye required selective laser trabeculoplasty followed by replacement of the original stent with a shorter 3-0 Supramid suture and external ligature; 1 eye underwent revision for tube exposure; and 2 eyes underwent laser suture lysis to release an external suture ligature., Conclusions: In cases of hypotony after GDD, particularly when it is desirable to reduce the extent of additional conjunctival dissection, intraluminal placement of a 3-0 Supramid stent via an intracameral approach can be an effective long-term solution. Postoperative adjustments were required in many cases., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To describe the incidence, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and long-term outcomes of a hypertensive phase (HP) after glaucoma drainage device (GDD) implantation., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Participants: Eyes that underwent implantation of their first GDD from January 2010 to October 2020 at a tertiary care center., Methods: Hypertensive phase was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) >21 mmHg occurring at 2 consecutive visits in the first 90 days after the date of surgery for Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV) or in the first 90 days after tube opening for Baerveldt Glaucoma Implant (BGI). Generalized estimating equations and Fisher exact tests were used to evaluate risk factors for HP and risk factors for failure of GDD surgery after occurrence of a HP., Main Outcome Measures: Incidence and risk factors for HP. Overall surgical success rates, defined as the absence of failure criteria: IOP >21 mmHg, ≤5 mmHg, or <20% reduction below baseline IOP after 3 months for 2 consecutive visits, with or without adjunctive ocular hypotensive therapy; additional glaucoma surgery; or loss of light perception., Results: Among 419 eyes of 360 patients that underwent GDD implantation, 42 (10.0%) eyes developed HP. Onset of HP was 20.8 ± 10.5 days after AGV and 11.7 ± 20.3 days from the date of tube opening after BGI. Mean IOP during HP was 26.5 ± 3.2 mmHg with peak IOP of 30.0 ± 5.9 mmHg. Median follow-up duration was 21.5 months after onset of HP. Younger age and neovascular glaucoma were significant risk factors for HP occurrence in a multivariable model. Resolution of HP occurred in 32 eyes (76.2%) after a mean duration of 48.0 ± 53.0 days. Additional surgery with a second GDD or cyclophotocoagulation was performed for 12 eyes (28.6%). The overall success rate among eyes with a HP was 52.6% at 2 years, which was significantly lower than that observed among control eyes that did not experience HP (76.3%), P < 0.01., Conclusions: The incidence of HP was 10.0%. Younger age and neovascular glaucoma were significant risk factors for HP in the multivariable model. The risk of surgical failure after HP is significantly higher compared to eyes that did not experience HP., Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare outcomes of early aqueous suppression (EAS) and standard therapy (ST) after Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV) implantation for uveitic glaucoma., Design: Retrospective comparative cohort study., Participants: All patients with uveitic glaucoma underwent AGV implantation from January 2010 to October 2020 at Northwestern Medicine., Methods: Excluding the first postoperative day 1 (POD1), only eyes with IOP 10-15 mmHg at their first visit with IOP ≥ 10 mmHg were included in the main analysis. Early aqueous suppression (EAS) was defined as initiation of ocular hypotensive therapy when IOP was first 10-15 mmHg. Standard therapy was initiation of therapy at any later time. Failure was defined as IOP > 21 mmHg, < 5 mmHg, or < 20% reduction in IOP from baseline after 3 months, for 2 consecutive study visits. Hypotony was defined as IOP ≤ 5 mmHg for ≥ 2 visits. Hypertensive phase was defined as IOP > 21 mmHg for 2 consecutive visits in the first 3 months., Main Outcome Measures: Proportion achieving overall success; incidence of hypotony and hypertensive phase., Results: Twenty-eight eyes of 26 patients were in the EAS group and 20 eyes of 19 patients were in the ST group, with a mean follow-up of 17.7 and 28.2 months, respectively. Baseline IOP was similar in the EAS (31.2 ± 10.1 mmHg) and ST (34.6 ± 12.2 mmHg) groups; P = 0.18. Final IOP was lower in the EAS group (12.9 ± 4.6 mmHg) than the ST group (16.4 ± 5.7 mmHg; P = 0.02) on 2.6 ± 0.9 medications in the EAS group and 1.8 ± 1.5 in the ST group (P = 0.07). Overall success was achieved in 87% of EAS eyes and 74% of ST eyes (P = 0.43). There were no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of additional glaucoma surgery (4% for EAS, 20% for ST; P = 0.11), hypotony (7% for EAS, 0% for ST; P = 0.50), or hypertensive phase (4% for EAS, 21% for ST; P = 0.09)., Conclusions: EAS was associated with a lower final IOP after AGV in uveitic glaucoma eyes; however, more medications were in use at the final visit. No statistically significant differences in overall success or the incidence of adverse events were observed., Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Prcis: The cost of cyclophotocoagulation is less than the cost of a second glaucoma drainage device., Purpose: To compare the total direct costs of implantation of a second glaucoma drainage device (SGDD) with transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (CPC) for patients with inadequately controlled intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction, despite the presence of a preexisting glaucoma drainage device in the ASSISTS clinical trial., Methods: We compared the total direct cost per patient, including the initial study procedure, medications, additional procedures, and clinic visits during the study period. The relative costs for each procedure during the 90-day global period and the entire study period were compared. The cost of the procedure, including facility fees and anesthesia costs, were determined using the 2021 Medicare fee schedule. Average wholesale prices for self-administered medications were obtained from AmerisourceBergen.com. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare costs between procedures., Results: Forty-two eyes of 42 participants were randomized to SGDD (n=22) or CPC (n=20). One CPC eye was lost to follow-up after initial treatment and was excluded. The mean (±SD, median) duration of follow-up was 17.1 (±12.8, 11.7) months and 20.3 (±11.4, 15.1) months for SGDD and CPC, respectively ( P =0.42, 2 sample t test). The mean total direct costs (±SD, median) per patient during the study period were $8790 (±$3421, $6805 for the SGDD group) and $4090 (±$1424, $3566) for the CPC group ( P <0.001). Similarly, the global period cost was higher in the SGDD group than in the CPC group [$6173 (±$830, $5861) vs. $2569 (±$652, $2628); P <0.001]. The monthly cost after the 90-day global period was $215 (±$314, $100) for SGDD and $103 (±$74, $86) for CPC ( P =0.31). The cost of IOP-lowering medications was not significantly different between groups during the global period ( P =0.19) or after the global period ( P =0.23)., Conclusion: The total direct cost in the SGDD group was more than double that in the CPC group, driven largely by the cost of the study procedure. The costs of IOP-lowering medications were not significantly different between groups. When considering treatment options for patients with a failed primary GDD, clinicians should be aware of differences in costs between these treatment strategies., Competing Interests: Disclosure: Dr R.L.G. reports personal fees from Aerie during the conduct of the study; membership of Data and Safety Monitoring Board for Glauckos and consultant and stockholder for Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems, outside the submitted work. Dr D.S.G. reports personal fees (consultant) from Allergan, Alcon, Aerie, and Eyenovia outside the submitted work. Dr L.R.P. reports grants from NIH, The Glaucoma Foundation, and Research to Prevent Blindness, as well as personal fees from Eyenovia, Twenty-Twenty, and Skye Biosciences outside the submitted work. Dr S.L.M. reports a research grant from AbbVie and the National Eye Institute (outside the submitted work); and consulting fees from Nicox and Thea. Dr A.P.T. reports grants or contracts from Google and Research to Prevent Blindness (to Northwestern University); consulting fees from Ivantis, Sandoz, and Zeiss; and payment for expert testimony from Ivantis. Dr R.N.W. reports personal fees (consultant) from Abbvie, Allergan, Amydis, Aerie, Equinox, Eyenovia, Iantrek, Implandata, IOPtic, Nicox, Perivision, Topcon Medical. He reports research support from the National Eye Institute, National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, Bausch + Lomb, Heidelberg Engineering, Zeiss-Meditec, Optovue, Centervue, and Topcon. Dr R.M.F. reports personal fees from Bausch and Lomb and Catawba; stock in 4DMD; and grants from Santen and Ivantis outside the submitted work. Dr L.S.B. reports personal fees (consultant) from Allergan, Abbive and Aerie outside the submitted work. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Prcis: Short-term overall success rates were high with either SGDD or CPC. However, SGDD was associated with more clinic visits and an increased risk of additional glaucoma surgery. Both treatments were reasonable options for eyes with inadequately controlled IOP after a single GDD., Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the implantation of a second glaucoma drainage device (SGDD) and transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (CPC) in eyes with inadequately controlled intraocular pressure (IOP), despite the presence of a preexisting glaucoma drainage device., Methods: Patients with inadequately controlled IOP, despite the medical therapy and a preexisting glaucoma drainage device, were enrolled at 14 clinical centers and randomly assigned to treatment with a SGDD or CPC., Main Outcome Measures: Surgical failure was defined as: (1) IOP ≤5 mm Hg or >18 mm Hg or <20% reduction below baseline on maximum tolerated topical ocular hypotensive therapy, (2) reoperation for glaucoma, or (3) loss of light perception. The primary outcome measure was overall success with or without adjunctive medical therapy., Results: Forty-two eyes of 42 participants were randomized to SGDD (n=22) or CPC (n=20). Mean duration of follow-up was 18.6 (±12.1; range: 1.1-38.6) months. The cumulative success rate was 79% for SGDD and 88% for CPC at 1 year ( P =0.63). Although the study was underpowered, no significant differences in IOP, postoperative number of IOP-lowering medications, or adverse events were observed. The number of additional glaucoma surgeries ( P =0.003), office visits during the first 3 months ( P <0.001), and office visits per month after month 3 ( P <0.001) were greater in the SGDD group., Conclusions: Short-term overall success rates were high with either SGDD or CPC. However, SGDD was associated with more clinic visits and an increased risk of additional glaucoma surgery., Competing Interests: Disclosure: Dr R.L.G. reports personal fees from Aerie during the conduct of the study; membership of Data and Safety Monitoring Board for Glauckos and consultant and stockholder for Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems, outside the submitted work. Dr D.S.G. reports personal fees (consultant) from Allergan, Alcon, Aerie, and Eyenovia outside the submitted work. Dr L.R.P. reports grants from NIH, The Glaucoma Foundation, and Research to Prevent Blindness, as well as personal fees from Eyenovia, Twenty-Twenty, and Skye Biosciences outside the submitted work. Dr S.L.M. reports grants from AbbVie outside the submitted work. Dr A.P.T. reports grants or contracts from Google and Research to Prevent Blindness (to Northwestern University); consulting fees from Ivantis, Sandoz, and Zeiss; and payment for expert testimony from Ivantis. Dr R.M.F. reports personal fees from Bausch and Lomb and Catawba; stock in 4DMD; and grants from Santen and Ivantis outside the submitted work. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Precis: In this retrospective case series, both Baerveldt and Ahmed glaucoma drainage devices resulted in good long-term outcomes in eyes with pediatric glaucoma following cataract surgery (GFCS)., Background: The aim of this study was to describe the long-term safety and efficacy of primary glaucoma drainage device surgery in patients with pediatric GFCS., Methods: We retrospectively identified 28 eyes of 28 patients with GFCS that underwent tube shunt surgery with the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve or Baerveldt Glaucoma Implant. The primary outcome measure was a surgical failure, defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) >21 mm Hg or not reduced by 20% below baseline on 2 consecutive follow-up visits after 3 months, IOP <5 mm Hg on 2 consecutive follow-up visits after 3 months, and reoperation for glaucoma., Results: The mean duration between cataract removal and the diagnosis of glaucoma was 3.6±1.5 years. Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated a mean time to failure of 41.9±2.1 months after drainage device surgery. The cumulative probability of failure at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years was 3.6%, 19%, 28%, and 28%. IOP was significantly decreased from 29.3±4.1 mm Hg preoperatively to 17.6±1.6 mm Hg at the final follow-up visit (P<0.001). The number of glaucoma medications at baseline was 3.1±0.6, which decreased to 2.1±0.7 at the final visit (P=0.001)., Conclusions: Glaucoma drainage device surgery results in good long-term outcomes in patients with GFCS.