Clinical Experience with the Baerveldt Implant in Recalcitrant Glaucoma

Koo, Hyung Jin; Kee, Chang Won

Abstract

From January to September 1995, eleven eyes of eleven patients with medically uncontrollable glaucoma or previously failed filtering cases underwent installation of Baerveldt implant. Seven men and four women were enrolled into this study,, and meand age of the patients was 41.7+/-22.9 years (range, 2-65years). Nine eyes had neovascular glaucoma (diabetic retinopathy) in six eyes, Coats` disease in one, central tetinal vein occlusion in one, other in one of nine eyes), two eyes had secondary glaucoma after penetrating keratoplasty. The mean follow-up period was 10.6+/-8.4 months (range, 2-22 months), and preoperative intraocular pressure(IOP)s averaged 54.8+/-16.0mmHg range, 26-76mmHg) were lowered to a mean of 14.7+/-3.1mmHg (range, 12-40mmHg) postoperatively. Ten eyes achieved final IOPs between 6 and 14mmHg without medication, and one eye was eviscerated. Postoperative complications included hyphema in five eyes (45.5%), flat anterior chamber in two eyes(18.1%), obstruction of the tube in two eyes(18.1%), and cataract progression in two eyes(18.1%) of the eleven eyes. We installed Baerveldt implant in eleven recalcitrant glaucomas, and obtained successful result of 90.0% without serious complication. In conclusion, although Baerveldt implant is large, it is easier to implant an requires less extensive conjunctival incision than other large implants, and it afforded a good IOP control.