Efficacy and safety of single Ultrasound Cyclo-Plasty to treat refractory glaucoma: Results at 1 year

A comparative study of ultrasound cycloplasty and endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation in the treatment of secondary glaucoma

To compare the clinical efficacy of ultrasound cycloplasty (UCP) and endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) in the treatment of secondary glaucoma. In a 12-month prospective single-center study, 22 patients with secondary glaucoma were treated by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and 23 patients with secondary glaucoma were treated by a semiconductor laser. At the final follow-up, the two groups' surgical outcomes were compared. A complete success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction of at least 20% from baseline and an IOP of > 5 mmHg and ≦ 21 mmHg, while a qualified success was defined as an IOP reduction of at least 20% from baseline and an IOP of > 5 mmHg. The secondary outcome was the average IOP, number of drugs, and complications at each follow-up compared with the baseline. The average preoperative IOPs in the UCP and ECP groups were 36.4 ± 9.5 mmHg (n = 2.3 drops, n = 0.2 tablets) and 34.5 ± 11.7 mmHg (n = 2.0 drops, n = 0.3 tablets), respectively. In the last follow-up, the success rate of UCP was 54% (with a decrease of 32%) and that of ECP was 65% (with a decrease of 35%), and the P-value between the two groups was > 0.05. However, there was a difference in the average IOP between these two groups 1 day and 1 week after the operation, and the IOP reduction efficiency in the ECP group was better. However, the amount of drug used after these two surgeries was significantly reduced. There were fewer postoperative complications in the UCP group (18 cases) than in the ECP group (35 cases). Both UCP and ECP can effectively reduce IOP in secondary glaucoma, and ECP has a better effect at the early stages. However, UCP has higher safety and tolerance for patients.

Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery: Latest Developments and Future Challenges

The development of minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGSs) was intended to provide safe and modestly efficacious modalities for early intervention of mild-to-moderate glaucoma, with minimal trauma and rapid recovery. They were mainly ab interno procedures that reduce intraocular pressure by facilitating the aqueous outflow by bypassing the trabecular meshwork resistance, reinforcing the uveoscleral flow via the supraciliary space, and reducing aqueous production by the ciliary body. While the cumulating evidence helps shape the role of the available MIGS, the exponential new development and advancement in this field has expanded the territory of MIGS. Apart from developing subconjunctival MIGS filtration devices (Xen gel stent and PRESERFLO MicroShunt), there is a tendency to revisit the "traditional" MIGS for alternative use and to modify the procedures with consideration of the fundamental aqueous outflow physiology. Combined MIGS has also been suggested, based on the theory that their different mechanisms may provide additive or synergistic effects. The advancement of laser procedures is also promising and could supplement unmet needs along the glaucoma treatment algorithm. This review examines the broad array of MIGS, updates the recent findings, discusses their potential alternative applications, and explores future challenges.

Ultrasound cyclo-plasty for moderate glaucoma: Eighteen-month results from a prospective study

Purpose

To evaluate the long-term clinical efficacy of ultrasound cyclo-plasty (UCP) in the treatment of moderate glaucoma and molecular effects in animal experiments.

Methods

An 18-month clinical study was conducted among 32 patients with moderate glaucoma. The primary outcome was surgical success, defined as a reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) of greater than or equal to 20% from the baseline and an IOP value of greater than 5 mmHg at the last follow-up. The secondary outcomes were related to the quality of life, complications, and mean IOP value at each follow-up. In the animal experiment, 20 New Zealand rabbits were used to establish a high-IOP model and implement UCP. The distribution of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in the ciliary body and the tissue changes under electron microscopy were observed after surgery.

Results

The mean patient IOP decreased from 34.9 ± 4.9 mmHg before surgery to 23.5 ± 5.2 mmHg at 18 months after UCP. No vision loss occurred in any patient. Some patients had postoperative complications, but the symptoms were mild and disappeared within 3 months after the surgery. Most patients had good postoperative quality of life. Histology showed that AQP4 remained in the ciliary muscle after UCP, and only the bilayered epithelial cells showed coagulative necrosis. Furthermore, electron microscopic observation revealed the destruction of ciliary process cells covered by ultrasound after UCP.

Conclusion

UCP is associated with mild postoperative reactions and the mild treatment of ciliary tissue and is a safe and effective method for reducing IOP in moderate glaucoma.

Efficacy and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound cyclo-plasty in glaucoma

Background

High-intensity focused ultrasound cyclo-plasty (UCP) is a recently developed glaucoma surgery. This study collected and analysed the clinical data of patients who underwent UCP to observe the efficacy and safety of this surgery in Chinese glaucoma patients.

Methods

This was a retrospective study. The clinical data of all the patients who underwent UCP at Affiliated Foshan Hospital, Southern Medical University, were collected and analysed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of UCP. The main outcome measure was intraocular pressure, and the secondary outcome measures were best corrected visual acuity (logMAR) and complications.

Results

Fifty-eight patients (61 eyes) were recruited for this study. IOP was dramatically decreased during the 12 months after UCP (p<0.05). The median IOP reduction during the 18 months post-procedure was more than 30%. The greatest reduction was at 1 month post-UCP (60.86%). The qualified success rate was more than 60% during the 18-month follow-up (Fig. 1). Poor follow up was found after 6-month post-UCP. The highest success rate was obtained at 7 days post-UCP (94.55%). No statistically significant decrease in BCVA in the vison group was observed at the follow-up visits, except for 1 day post-UCP. There was a statistically significant reduction in the use of IOP lowering medications during the 6 months post-UCP. No severe complications occurred.

Conclusion

UCP is a safe and effective procedure for primary and refractive glaucoma at least during the 6 months post-UCP procedure. Studies with longer follow-up time and better follow up are needed to further confirm the long-term efficacy and safety of UCP in Chinese glaucoma patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12886-022-02622-5.

The surgical management of glaucoma: A review

After a long period of little change, glaucoma surgery has experienced a dramatic rise in the number of possible procedures in the last two decades. Glaucoma filtering surgeries with mitomycin C and glaucoma drainage devices remain the standard of surgical care. Other newer surgeries, some of which are minimally or microinvasive glaucoma surgeries, target existing trabecular outflow, enhance suprachoroidal outflow, create subconjunctival blebs, or reduce aqueous production. Some require the implantation of a device such as the iStent, Hydrus, Ex-PRESS, XEN and PRESERFLO, whilst others do not-Trabectome, Kahook dual blade, Ab interno canaloplasty, gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy, OMNI and excimer laser trabeculotomy. Others are a less destructive variation of an established procedure, such as micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation, endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation and ultrasound cycloplasty. Cataract surgery alone can be a significant glaucoma operation. These older and newer glaucoma surgeries, their mechanism of action, efficacy and complications are the subject of this review.