Treatment of Uveitis and Outcomes of Glaucoma Drainage Implant Surgery: A Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT

Purpose

We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of uveitis treatment on glaucoma drainage implant surgical outcomes.

Methods

We included 16 articles in the meta-analysis. Two groups were defined based on medical therapy of uveitis: Group 1: poorly controlled uveitis, and Group 2: well-controlled uveitis including use of immunomodulatory medications.

Results

The two groups were similar in comparisons of follow-up time, age, gender, and etiology of uveitis. Meta-analysis demonstrated significantly greater success in Group 2 (95.1%) compared to Group 1 (81.6%) at 1 year after glaucoma drainage implant surgery (P = .001). The final success was significantly greater (P 0.014) in group 2 compared with group 1 (86.1% and 74.3%, respectively).

Conclusion

Surgical success was significantly higher in uveitic glaucoma patients treated with more intensive immunosuppressive therapy before and after glaucoma drainage implant surgery. The level of control of uveitis perioperatively appears to influence glaucoma drainage implant surgery outcomes.

Keywords:

• Glaucoma drainage implant
• glaucoma surgical outcomes
• immunomodulatory therapy
• meta-analysis
• uveitic glaucoma

Proprietary interest

None of the authors have a proprietary interest.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.