Deep Sclerectomy With a New Nonabsorbable Uveoscleral Implant (Esnoper-Clip): 1-Year Outcomes

Efficacy and safety of deep sclerectomy with uveoscleral implant plus collagen matrix implant overcoming the superficial scleral flap in glaucoma surgery

AIM

To assess the efficacy and safety of non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS) with uveoscleral implant plus subconjunctival and intrascleral collagen matrix overcoming the superficial scleral flap lips (modified deep sclerectomy technique, DS) and minimal use of mitomycin C in glaucoma surgery.

METHODS

A retrospective review of 47 consecutive glaucoma patients who underwent NPDS with DS between January 2017 and May 2018. Best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), post-operative need for glaucoma medications, visual field mean deviation (MD), re-interventions, needling revisions and laser goniopuncture were noted. Absolute success was defined as IOP≤18 mm Hg without topical medication. Relative success was defined as the same criteria but with the addition of any antihypertensive medication. IOP over 18 mm Hg on two consecutive follow-up visits was considered as a failure.

RESULTS

Fifty-two eyes of 47 patients were evaluated. Mean preoperative IOP was 25.37±6.47 mm Hg, and decreased to 15.04±4.73 at 12mo and 12.21±4.1 at 24mo (all P<0.0001). Requirement for topical medications dropped from a mean of 3.06±0.25 per patient to 0.51±0.99 and 1.11±1.23 respectively after 12 and 24mo (all P<0.0001). No medications were required in 45.5% of patients after 24mo. Relative and absolute success rate at 24mo were 85.5%±5% and 48.5%±7.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

DS is a safe and effective non-penetrating glaucoma surgery variation. It aims to retain the patency of all pathways created for aqueous humor drainage: the intrascleral bleb, the supraciliary space and the open communication between intrascleral and subconjunctival compartments.

Trabeculectomy Vs Non-penetrating Deep Sclerectomy for the Surgical Treatment of Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Long-Term Report of 201 Eyes

Introduction

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of vision loss worldwide. The reduction of intraocular pressure remains the backbone of its therapy. Among surgical techniques for its treatment, deep non-penetrating sclerotomy is the most widely practiced non-penetrating surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of deep non-penetrating sclerotomy compared to standard trabeculectomy in patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Patients and methods

Retrospective study including 201 eyes with open-angle glaucoma. Closed-angle and neovascular cases were excluded. Absolute success was considered when intraocular pressure under 18 mmHg, or a reduction of at least 20% in patients with a baseline intraocular pressure below 22 mmHg, was obtained after 24 months, without the use of medication. Qualified success was considered when those targets were met with or without the use of hypotensive medication.

Results

Deep non-penetrating sclerectomy showed a slightly lower long-term hypotensive effect compared to standard trabeculectomy, with significant differences at 12 months, but not at 24 months of follow-up. The absolute and qualified success rates were 51.85% and 65.43% for the trabeculectomy group and 50.83% and 60.83% for the deep non-penetrating sclerectomy, without significant differences. Regarding postoperative complications, mainly due to postoperative hypotonia, or related to the filtration bleb, they were significantly different between groups, with 10.8% and 24.7%, in deep-nonpenetrating sclerectomy and trabeculectomy groups, respectively.

Conclusion

Deep non-penetrating sclerectomy seems to be an effective and safe surgical option for patients with open-angle glaucoma unable to be controlled by non-invasive strategies. Data suggests that the intraocular pressure-lowering effect of this technique may be marginally lower than that of trabeculectomy, but the achieved efficacy outcomes were similar, with a significantly lower risk of complications.

Efficacy and Safety of Deep Sclerectomy With the Esnoper Clip Implant for Uncontrolled Primary Open Angle Glaucoma: A 1 Year Prospective Study

PRCIS

Deep sclerectomy (DS) with the Esnoper Clip drainage implant in patients with uncontrolled primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) achieved a complete success rate of 87.2% at the 1-year follow-up.

PURPOSE

To investigate the efficacy and safety of DS followed by Esnoper Clip implantation in patients with uncontrolled POAG.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a prospective, consecutive, interventional study, we investigated 39 eyes of 35 patients with uncontrolled POAG who underwent DS with Esnoper Clip implantation. Complete ophthalmologic examinations including corrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP), were performed preoperatively, and at 1 day, at 1 week as well as at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively. Moreover, any goniopunctures and glaucoma medications required postoperatively were noted.

RESULTS

The mean preoperative IOP was 20.8±5.2 mm Hg and it decreased to 13.9±3.1 mm Hg at 1 year postoperatively ( P <0.001). The number of glaucoma medications decreased from 2.9±0.7 preoperatively to 0.3±0.8 after 1 year ( P <0.001). The complete success rate (IOP≤21 mm Hg without glaucoma medication) and the qualified success rate (IOP ≤21 mm Hg with or without glaucoma medication) were 87.2% and 94.9%, respectively. Goniopuncture was performed in 33.3% of cases. No significant corrected visual acuity changes were registered at the final follow-up. Perioperative complications consisted of 3 micro-perforations of the trabeculo-descemet membrane. Postoperative complications included: hyphema (6 eyes), hypotony (6 eyes), shallow anterior chamber (3 eyes), choroidal detachment (4 eyes)-all of which were resolved without surgical intervention during the first postoperative month-and conjunctival dehiscence, which required resuture (2 eyes).

CONCLUSION

Deep sclerectomy with the Esnoper Clip implant was safe and effectively lowered IOP in patients with uncontrolled POAG.

Five-year results of non-penetrating deep sclerectomy with demineralized cancellous bone xenogenically derived collagen glaucoma implant

PURPOSE

To investigate the long-term effectiveness of non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS) with xenogenically derived cancellous bone collagen glaucoma implant (XCB-CGI) implantation in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective chart review of patients with POAG stages 2 and 3 was treated with NPDS and XCB-CGI. Follow-up was at 6 months, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years after surgery. Main outcomes were intraocular pressure (IOP) and medication burden. Secondary outcomes were visual acuity, corneal hysteresis (CH), visual field (VF) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameter analysis.

RESULTS

Among 71 patients (71 eyes), the mean age was 72.7 ± 9.8. Average initial IOP was 27.7 ± 7.9 and average initial med load was 2.36 ± 0.99. At 6 months, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, the average IOP was 14.9 ± 3.3 mm Hg (46.2% reduction), 15.3 ± 4.0 mm Hg (44.7% reduction), 14.2 ± 3.8 mm Hg (48.7% reduction), 15.2 ± 3.3 mm Hg (45.0% reduction), 15.5 ± 3.3 mm Hg (44.0% reduction) and 14.2 ± 2.8 mm Hg (48.7% reduction), respectively. In 5 years, the success rate was 34% and 67%, without, and with medications (1.8 ± 0.8 meds required), respectively. Visual acuity was not significantly different (P > .05) at all follow-up visits from baseline. Mean CH increased by 2.1 ± 0.8 (P = .05). No glaucomatous deterioration of the VF and OCT parameters was detected in 56 eyes at the 5-year follow-up.

CONCLUSION

NPDS with XCB-CGI implantation is an effective procedure to normalize the level of IOP, stabilize glaucomatous changes and decrease the number of meds needed for glaucoma control.

Spurectomy: A novel modification of non-penetrating deep sclerectomy

PURPOSE

To evaluate the outcomes of a novel modification of the non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS) approach for glaucoma management called spurectomy.

METHODS

Observational comparative non-randomized retrospective study including 98 glaucomatous eyes of 76 patients operated on with the spurectomy technique consisting of the combination of the excision of the scleral spur with NPDS (groupA). A control group (groupB) including 53 glaucomatous eyes of 43 patients operated on with classical NPDS was also included. Changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) and medications required as well as complications were recorded in a 12-month follow-up.

RESULTS

Mean IOP decreased from 25.69±8.11 preoperatively to 15.73±4.16mm Hg postoperatively in groupA (p<0.001). In groupB, mean IOP decreased from 26.66±5.93 preoperatively to 18.19±5.93mm Hg postoperatively (P<.001). Differences between groups in postoperative IOP was statistically significant (P<.001). At 12months after surgery, 13.27% and 52.83% of eyes in groupsA andB required topical antihypertensive therapy (P<.001). The rate of absolute success after surgery was 87.5% and 47.17% in groupsA andB, with significantly higher rate of relative success in groupB (P<.001). No significant differences among groups were found in the complication rate (P=.960). The most common postoperative complication was microperforation of the trabeculo-descemetic membrane in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Spurectomy is a safe and effective technique when compared with conventional NPDS and seems a promising alternative in the surgical management of glaucoma, optimizing the efficacy of the treatment and minimizing complications.

Supraciliary versus intrascleral implantation with hema implant (Esnoper V-2000) in deep sclerectomy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

To compare the supraciliary versus intrascleral implantation of the hema implant (Esnoper V-2000) in terms of the efficacy and safety in nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Prospective, randomized, unmasked, competitive and multicenter clinical trial. Eighty-three eyes from 83 patients suffering from open-angle glaucoma (40 males, 43 females) were enrolled and followed up for 12 months. Main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), perimetry (mean defect, MD and Visual Field Index, VFI), pachymetry, number of antiglaucoma medications and analysis of blebs according Moorfields Bleb Grading.

RESULTS

The IOP was significantly reduced in both groups from 23.74 ± 6.9 mmHg (implant sutured to the sclera, group 1) and 23.46 ± 6.47 mmHg (implant placed in the suprachoroidal space, group 2) to 15.43 ± 4.27 mmHg (p < 0.001) and 14.62 ± 3.64 mmHg (p < 0.001), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in mean IOP values between the groups a year after the surgery (p = 0.581). BCVA did not show statistical differences in comparison with baseline (p = 0.09, group 1; p = 0.42, group 2). The mean number of antiglaucoma medications was reduced in both groups from 2.58 ± 0.04 and 2.68 ± 0.02 before the surgery to 0.32 ± 0.76 and 0.24 ± 0.66 after surgery.

CONCLUSION

Nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy using hema implant (Esnoper V-2000) is safe and effective regardless of the positioning of the implant. We achieved IOP decrease and reduction in antiglaucoma medications during the first year after surgery without significant differences between both techniques.

Supraciliary Implant Placement and Postoperative Suprachoroidal Hemorrhage After Nonpenetrating Deep Sclerectomy

PURPOSE

The purpose if this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of 3 eyes (3 patients), with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), in whom a postoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage (SCH) occurred after a previous nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS) augmented with a supraciliary nonabsorbable implant placement.

METHODS AND SURGICAL TECHNIQUE

This is a report of 3 eyes of the 3 patients who underwent NPDS in 3 different centers, by 3 experienced surgeons, and were the only ones to develop postoperative SCH in the last 18 years. All were operated with a one-third thickness outer scleral flap measuring 5×5 mm dissected until it reached 1 to 2 mm into the clear cornea. Mitomycin C (MMC, 0.02%) was applied for 1 minute and an inner scleral flap measuring 4×4 mm was dissected leaving only 10% of scleral thickness below. Then, the inner wall of Schlemm canal was removed. A supraciliary implant, T-flux (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Zeiss, Spain) in case 2 and Esnoper (AJL Ophthalmics SA, Miñano, Spain) in cases 1 and 3, was placed through a full-thickness escleral incission 2 mm behind the scleral spur.

RESULTS

Three eyes with uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma had a delayed SCH after an uneventful NPDS. Time lapse from filtering surgery to the SCH ranged from 12 hours in case number 1, to 3 weeks in case 3. Several risk factors for DSH were present, but the only common clinical feature for all of them, was the nonabsorbable implant that was placed in the supraciliary space. A Hema implant (Esnoper) was used in 2 eyes (cases 1 and 3), and T-flux, was implanted in the case 2. Case 1 required vitreoretinal surgery and had poor visual outcome, but cases 2 and 3 recovered with conservative treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Although taking the potential bias arising from the nature of the current cases report into consideration, supraciliary placement of the implant in NPDS could be a risk factor for SCH. Consequently, it seems reasonable to avoid it, especially in the presence of other best recognized factors.