Ahmed Glaucoma Valve in Refractory Glaucoma: A Retrospective Study

• Main Authors: Suresh Kumar, Sahil Thakur, Madhu Sharma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited 2018-04-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
• Subjects: glaucoma drainage devices; implant; intraocular pressure
• Online Access: https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/11435/32447_CE[Ra1]_F(SHU)_PF1(AJ_SHU)_PFA(AJ_SHU)_PB(AJ_SL)_PN(SL).pdf

Introduction: Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV) is a modality to surgically manage patients of glaucoma who are refractory to conventional intraocular pressure lowering drugs. Aim: To evaluate the success rate and safety profile of AVG in patients of refractory glaucoma. Materials and Methods: This study is a retrospective review of 30 eyes with refractory glaucoma that were implanted AGV over a period from January 2012 to November 2014. The collected data was analysed using SPSS Version 21.0, ANOVA and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to evaluate surgical success and rate of complications. Results: The AGV reduced the preoperative mean Intraocular Pressure (IOP) of 33.47±6.19 mmHg to 12.36±3.55 mmHg at last follow up after surgery (p-value=0.001). The dependency on antiglaucoma drugs decreased from 2.43±1.1 to 1.1±0.5 at the last follow up visit (p-value=0.65). AGV implantation was successful in 90% eyes at 12 months (n=30), 86.7% at 24 months (n=26) and 70% eyes at 36 months (n=21). Complications requiring intervention were found in seven (23.33%) eyes. Conclusion: Ahmed Glaucoma Valve is a reliable and safe alternative for IOP control in patients with refractory glaucoma.