Outcomes of Stent Removal in Eyes With the Paul Glaucoma Implant With Intraluminal 6–0 Polypropylene

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the 12-month outcomes of stent removal in eyes with the Paul Glaucoma Implant (PGI) and intraluminal 6-0 polypropylene in an Asian population. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients ≥ 18 years of age with glaucoma in a tertiary institution, who underwent the PGI stented with intraluminal 6-0 polypropylene (October 2018 to January 2023), with a minimum follow-up duration of 12 months. The main outcome measures were intraocular pressure (IOP) and number of glaucoma medications. RESULTS: We included 103 eyes of 97 patients, who were mostly Chinese (73.8%). The stent was removed in 43 eyes (41.7%), at a median of 12.3 (interquartile range: 4.1-18.4) postoperative weeks. The mean IOP reduction immediately following stent removal was -6.4 ± 5.0 mmHg, and there was a strong linear correlation with the IOP before stent removal (Pearson correlation -0.554; p < 0.001). No eyes developed hypotony after stent removal. CONCLUSIONS: Less than half of the eyes with PGI stented with intraluminal 6-0 polypropylene required stent removal. The IOP reduction achieved after stent removal correlated with the IOP before stent removal, and there were no complications of hypotony.