Clinical Ophthalmology (Feb 2018)

Surgical outcomes of membrane-tube-type glaucoma shunt device in indigenous West Africans

  • Olawoye O,
  • Sarimiye T,
  • Ashaye A,
  • Hwang YH,
  • Han JC,
  • Ahn BH

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 12
pp. 279 – 286

Abstract

Read online

Olusola Olawoye,1,2 Tarela Sarimiye,1,2 Adeyinka Ashaye,1,2 Young Hoon Hwang,3 Jong Chul Han,4 Byung Heon Ahn3 1Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, 2Department of Ophthalmology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Konyang University, Kim’s Eye Hospital, Myung-Gok Eye Research Institute, 4Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea Purpose: The aim of this study was to report the safety and efficacy of the membrane-tube (MT)-type glaucoma shunt device (Finetube MT) in the management of refractory glaucoma in indigenous West Africans.Methods: The Finetube MT was implanted into 25 eyes of 25 West African patients with refractory glaucoma. These patients had inadequate intraocular pressure (IOP) control despite maximum tolerable IOP-lowering medications with or without previous ocular surgeries. IOP, postoperative complications, interventions, visual acuities, and the number of IOP-lowering medications were analyzed preoperatively and postoperatively.Results: The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of the patients was 49.7 (20.9) years. The mean (SD) follow-up duration was 21.0 (10.6) months. Postoperatively, the mean (SD) IOP reduced from a preoperative value of 38.1 (10.3) mmHg to 14.5 (4.6), 16.1 (7.8), and 14.7 (3.0) mmHg at 1, 2, and 3 years postoperatively, respectively, representing 61.9%, 57.7%, and 61.4% reduction from baseline (P<0.01). The mean (SD) number of IOP-lowering medications reduced from 4.1 (1.0) to 0.6 (0.9) at 1 year and 0.9 (1.1) at 2 years after the operation (P<0.01). Using an IOP level between 6 and 21 mmHg and reduced by ≥20% from baseline, the cumulative survival rate (standard error) was 96.0% (3.9%) at 6 months, 89.0% (6.0%) at 18 months, and 81.3% (10.6%) at 3 years after the operation. There was no postoperative ocular hypotony, tube occlusion, or device exposure.Conclusion: The Finetube MT may effectively control IOP with minimal risk of postoperative complications in indigenous West Africans. Keywords: glaucoma, intraocular pressure, glaucoma shunt device, West Africa

Keywords