Removal of a Baerveldt Glaucoma Implant and Fibrous Adhesion for Refractory Mechanical Strabismus

Although strabismus is a well-known complication of glaucoma implant surgery, its surgical treatment is still challenging. We present a case with refractory strabismus after Baerveldt glaucoma implant (BGI) surgery, which was not sufficiently improved by strabismus surgery, but by removal of the BGI and fibrous adhesion. The patient was a 35-year-old woman who had multiple surgeries for secondary glaucoma. She had severe limitations of the movement of her right eye and binocular diplopia in all gaze positions after BGI surgery. Although she underwent two strabismus surgeries, the strabismus was not resolved. The surgery was performed by two specialists in glaucoma and strabismus. The BGI plate and the fibrous capsule were carefully removed. The fibrous tissue involved the muscle bellies of the inferior and particularly lateral rectus (LR) muscles and induced tight and wide adhesion between the muscle bellies and sclera. The adhesion was released after tenotomy at the insertion of the LR muscle, and the LR muscle was additionally resected by 6.0 mm. The ocular position and movement dramatically improved; however, intraocular pressure (IOP) increased immediately after the surgery. Then, Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation was performed 5 days after BGI removal. The IOP decreased and has been controlled. The improvement of ocular position and movement remained 9 months postoperatively and she obtained cosmetic satisfaction without diplopia or worsening of visual acuity. Removal of BGI and fibrous adhesion is a potential option for refractory mechanical strabismus following BGI surgery; however, it is important to prepare additional procedures for the subsequent IOP increase in advance.