Partial External Trabeculectomy(PET) with the Excimer Laser.

Ahn, M D

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1997;38(2):267-273.
Published online February 1, 1997.

Partial External Trabeculectomy(PET) with the Excimer Laser.

M D Ahn

Department of Ophthalmology Kangnam St.Mary-Hospital, Catholic University Medical College, Seoul, Korea.

엑시머레이저에 의한 부분외 섬유주 절제술

안명덕(Ahn M.D)

Abstract

Partial external trabeculectomy using the eximer laser at 193 nm was performed to seven patients (7 eyes) with glaucoma intractable to the medical therapy and with a visual acuity of LP(+) or worse. Among 7 patients, 3 patients with POAG, 1 patient with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, 3 patients with CNAG and 1 patient with aphakic glaucoma were included. The excimer laser beam was applied on the corneoscleral limbus in 2.0x 0.8 mm area and the Schlemm`s canal and juxtacanalicular trabecular meshwork were photoablated leaving partial trabecular meshwork intact. All the patients were followed up for 2.2 years (2-2.3 years). Cystic filtering bleb with good pressure control (10-13 mmHg) without medication were achieved in 3 eyes (42.9%). In early postoperative period, hyphema and conjunctival leakage occured in 2 eyes but these were subsided spontaneously in 2 or 3 days. In this surgical procedure, there are advantages of easy technique, less surgical trauma to adjacent tissue and less complications than other filtering surgeries, so this method appears to be useful in the patients with POAG surgeries, so this method appears to be useful in the patients with POAG intractable to the medical therapy.

Key Words: Excimer laser;Partial external trabeculectomy;POAG