A Novel Surgical Technique for Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation Without Plate Sutures

Long scleral tunnel technique for prevention of drainage tube-related complications during Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of modified Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation (long scleral tunnel technique) in the treatment of neovascularization glaucoma (NVG). This retrospective observational case series included 23 patients (23 eyes) diagnosed with NVG secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy from January 2020 to June 2021. All 23 cases received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment. Then, after 3 to 7 days, these cases were treated with modified AGV implantation (long scleral tunnel technique) and were followed up for at least 6 months. The best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, numbers of antiglaucoma medications used, and postoperative complications were observed at 1 week and 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. With treatment, the mean best corrected visual acuity improved significantly (P < .001) from 1.62 ± 0.52 logMAR preoperatively to 1.29 ± 0.36 logMAR at the 6-month follow-up. The mean postoperative intraocular pressure was significantly lower than that before modified AGV implantation during follow-up period, decreasing from 45.48 ± 7.86 mm Hg preoperatively to 14.87 ± 1.96 mm Hg at 1 week, 18.39 ± 2.25 mm Hg at 1 month, 16.61 ± 1.47 mm Hg at 3 months, and 17.48 ± 1.38 mm Hg at 6 months (F = 256.646, P < .001). The median number of antiglaucoma medications used by patients also significantly decreased from 3 (3-4) preoperatively to 0 (0-1) at the 6-month follow-up after surgery (Z = -4.248, P < .001). Postoperative complications included hyphema in 2 cases and vitreous hemorrhage in 1 case, and all 3 patients achieved satisfactory recovery with treatment. No drainage tube-related complications occurred among our patients. Long scleral tunnel technique is a safe and effective surgical treatment for NVG with fewer drainage tube-related complications.

Surgical Outcomes of Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation Without Plate Sutures: A 10-Year Retrospective Study

PRCIS

Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation without plate fixation resulted in high rates of complications related to plate or tube movement.

PURPOSE

Scleral suturing of the plate of AGV is associated with technical difficulty and potential complications. This study summarizes the surgical outcomes of 10 years of experience with AGV implantation without suture plate fixation.

METHODS

The medical records of all glaucoma patients who underwent AGV implantation surgery without plate fixation between 2009 and 2019 at the Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer, Israel) were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data on intraoperative and postoperative complications, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and number of intraocular pressure-lowering medications were retrieved.

RESULTS

Included were 95 eyes of 95 patients (53 men, 42 women; mean age, 54.9±17.5 y). The mean follow-up was 687±673 days. In total, 37 patients (37/95, 38.%) had AGV-related complications, of whom 28 (29.5%) required additional intervention. Women had a significantly higher rate of complications than men (21/42, 50% vs. 16/53, 30.2%, respectively, P=0.049). The 2 most common complications were AGV migration in 13 eyes (13.7%) and tube exposure/AGV extrusion in 9 eyes (9.5%). AGV was removed in 10 cases.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort, omitting suture AGV plate fixation resulted in high rates of complications related to plate or tube movement, the need for further intervention, and AGV removal. Therefore, we cannot recommend this surgical technique.

Surgical outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation with plate fixation using vicryl sutures or no plate fixation

PURPOSE

To summarize the surgical outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation with plate fixation with vicryl absorbable sutures or no plate suturing.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective case series that included all glaucoma patients who underwent AGV implantation surgery with vicryl absorbable sutures for plate fixation or without plate fixation by a single surgeon between 2014 and 2019. We reviewed their medical records and retrieved clinical data on intra- and postoperative complications, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and number of IOP-lowering medications.

RESULTS

Twenty out of 29 eyes (29 patients, mean age 61.04 ± 27.1 years, 17 men) underwent AGV implantation without plate fixation and nine had AGV implantation with fixation with vicryl sutures. Complications were observed in 15 cases (51.7%). Nine of these were defined as failure due to the need for removal or repositioning of the AGV or for further surgery for uncontrolled IOP, of which five were no-fixation cases (5/20, 25%) and four were vicryl-fixation cases (4/9, 44.4%). Six of all surgical failures were related to AGV migration (6/9, 66.6%). There were three cases of extrusion and one case of plate migration in the no-fixation group, and two cases of plate migration and one case of extrusion in the vicryl-fixation group.

CONCLUSION

AGV implantation without suture plate fixation or with vicryl suture fixation had a high complication and failure rate, often necessitating reoperation and AGV removal. The high rate of tube-related complications observed after both techniques does not favor either of them. The use of non-absorbable sutures for suturing of the AGV plate is recommended.