Global Ophthalmology and Glaucoma Conference

Purpose: To assess the change in thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer and macula, after trabeculectomy, by using optical coherence tomography. Materials & Methods: A total of 25 patients with primary open angle glaucoma undergoing trabeculectomy were selected. Average and quadrant RNFL thickness, macular thicknesses were measured by OCT within a month before surgery and 1 and 3 months postoperatively. Main outcome measures were changes in average and quadrant RNFL, macular thickness with respect to post-operative intraocular pressure change. Results: Average and quadrant RNFL thickness increases post-operatively after reduction of IOP from 28.12±7.92 mmHg (mean±SD) to 11.40±2.71 mmHg at 1 month and 11.68±2.61 mmHg (P=<0.0001) at 3 months. A significant increase was observed in superior (18.33±5.55 μm, P=0.0085) and inferior (16.04±6.54 μm, P=0.0178) RNFL thickness at 3 months post-operatively. Average (10.89±5.55 μm, P=0.0555), nasal (13.12±8.16 μm, P=0.1146) and temporal (1.64±3.17 μm, P=0.6069) RNFL thickness increase were not statistically significant (P=>0.05). Macular thickness increases from 229.82±9.99 μm pre-peratively to 243.88±8.89 μm at 1 month and 233.52±7.95 μm at 3 months (P=0.1547) post-operatively, both were not significant. Conclusion: A significant increase in superior and inferior RNFL thickness was observed due to reduction of IOP after trabeculectomy