Clinical outcomes of patterned laser trabeculoplasty as adjuvant therapy in open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension

● AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of patterned laser trabeculoplasty (PLT) as an adjunctive treatment in open angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT) patients who were under antiglaucoma medical treatment. ● METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of primary or secondary OAG patients and OHT patients with medically uncontrolled (≥18 mm Hg) intraocular pressure (IOP) who underwent 360º PLT from June 2016 to August 2016. Follow-up visits at week 1, and 1, 3 and 6mo were performed. IOP, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), complications and eye drop glaucoma medication were recorded at each follow-up visit. Success was defined as IOP reduction ≥20% from baseline. ● RESULTS: Forty-one eyes of 25 patients were included in this study. Pre-treatment mean IOP was 20.2±1.6 mm Hg. After PLT, IOP was 19.3±5.2, 16.1±2.7, 17.1±3.7 and 16.3±3.5 mm Hg, at 1wk, 1, 3 and 6mo, respectively. IOP reduction from baseline was statistically significant from the first month, remaining stable at 6mo (P<0.001). PLT success at 6mo of follow-up was 48.78%. The number of glaucoma medication per eye (P=0.10) and the mean BCVA both remained constant (P=0.37). Complications included transient IOP spikes in 4 eyes (9.8%) and peripheral anterior synechiae in 7 eyes (17.1%). ● CONCLUSION: PLT is an effective and safe method for the management of patients with OHT or OAG as an adjunctive therapy. Additional larger studies should be designed to verify the long-term stability of IOP reduction with this laser technology.