Primary slow-coagulation transscleral cyclophotocoagulation laser treatment for medically recalcitrant neovascular glaucoma

Aims To report treatment outcomes of slow-coagulation continuous-wave transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (TSCPC) as an initial surgical intervention in patients with neovascular glaucoma (NVG). Methods A retrospective study including 53 patients (mean age of 69.6±16.6 years and mean follow-up of 12.7±8.9 months) with a diagnosis of NVG and no previous incisional glaucoma or cyclophotocoagulation surgeries. All patients underwent slow-coagulation continuous-wave TSCPC (1250-milliwatt power and 4-second duration). Primary outcome measure was surgical success defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) from 6 to 21 mm Hg with a reduction ≥20% from baseline, no reoperation for glaucoma and no loss of light perception vision. Secondary outcome measures include IOP, glaucoma medications, visual acuity (VA) and complications. Results IOP decreased from 40.7±8.6 mm Hg preoperatively to 18.4±12.2 mm Hg postoperatively (p<0.001). The preoperative number of glaucoma medications dropped from 3.3±1.1 at baseline to 2.0±1.5 at the last postoperative visit (p<0.001). The cumulative probabilities of success at 12 and 24 months were 71.7% and 64.2 %, respectively. Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution VA was relatively unchanged from 2.27±0.63 to 2.25±0.66 at the last follow-up visit (p=0.618). The most common observed complications were decrease in baseline VA (13.2%) and anterior chamber inflammation (9.4%). Conclusions Slow-coagulation TSCPC is an effective and relatively safe initial surgical intervention in medically uncontrolled NVG.