The objective of this study was a retrospective assessment of two-year experience with micropulse cyclophotocoagulation (MP CPC) in the therapy of various types of glaucoma.
Material and method: The cohort of patients consisted of 47 people, out of which 16 men and 31 women. An average age of males was 58.9 years (the range from 35 to 78 years), and an average age of females was 64.7 years (the range from 33 to 86 years). Both eyes were treated in three patients, and therefore the total number of assessed eyes was 50. Patients who underwent the therapy were in different stages of glaucoma disease, with various types of primary and secondary glaucoma. Most of the patients were those with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG): 26 patients, followed by patients with secondary pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEXG): 9 patients; diagnoses of the remaining patients: 4 patients – secondary pigmentary glaucoma (PG), 3 patients - primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), 2 patients normal tension glaucoma (NTG), 3 patients - Posner-Schlossman syndrome, 1 patient - Cogan-Reese syndrome, 1 patient - neovascular glaucoma and 1 patient – secondary traumatic glaucoma. On the operated eye prior to the surgery 3 patients underwent laser iridotomy, 4 patients trabeculectomy, 4 patients EX-PRESS® implant, 3 patients EX-PRESS® implant and trabeculectomy and 1 patient transscleral cyclophotocoagulation. During surgery we opted for from 2,000 to 2,250 mW infrared laser with 810 nm wavelength which uses a micropulse system of laser energy emission. For the procedure we used a new MP3 application probe. 30% drop in intraocular pressure (IOP) compared to the baseline IOP values was set as a success.
Results: Our results correlated with the most of available studies when we achieved drop in the values of intraocular pressure by the minimum of 30% in 53.4% of the eyes. The effect of therapy failed in 9 eyes (18%) where we subsequently selected a different therapeutic procedure.
Conclusion: MP CPC is a non-incisional laser treatment with minimum complications. It is characterized by a high safety profile and predictability of results. In our study we achieved drop in the values of intraocular pressure by the minimum of 30% in 53.4% of treated eyes. Its use is not limited by the type of glaucoma disease. In the event of insufficient effect, it may be repeated.