Efficacy of Cyclocryotherapy on Pain in Patients with Absolute Glaucoma.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy of cyclocryotherapy in pain control in 63 patients with absolute glaucoma who had pain and no vision despite maximum medical treatment. Methods: 63 eyes of 63 glaucoma patients defined as absolute glaucoma were included in the study. The intraocular pressures, number of drops used, pain status and need for recurrent therapy were compared before and after the procedure at 1 and 3 months Results: 13 of the patients were female and 40 were male. The mean age was 59.4±17.5 years. 50 of the patients were diagnosed with neovascular glaucoma, 3 with congenital glaucoma, 1 with primary open-angle glaucoma and 9 with angle-closure glaucoma. Preoperative mean intraocular pressure was 50.7±12 mmHg, while it was found to be 37.9±15.4 mmHg in the 1st month and 28.5±15.8 mmHg in the 3rd month postoperatively. The decrease in intraocular pressure before and after the procedure was statistically significant at 1 and 3 months. (p<0.0001) Pain control was received 85% at the first month and 96% at the third month after the procedure. Number of medications that were used was found 3.00 and 2.3±0.9 respectively before and after the procedure and this was statistically significant. (p<0.0001) While no phthisis was observed in any patient, evisceration was applied to 2 patients because of uncontrolled pain. Conclusion: Cyclocryotherapy may be a preferred treatment option before evisceration, as it is a non-invasive, inexpensive and easily applicable method in patients whose pain control cannot be achieved, although it has lost its former popularity with the discovery of new options in the surgical and medical treatment of glaucoma [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]