Outcomes of Trabeculectomy and Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation in Patients With Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome

Precis: Our study highlights the long-term success of trabeculectomy or Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) surgery in patients with glaucoma secondary to iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome. However, many ICE syndrome cases may need multiple glaucoma surgeries to achieve controlled intraocular pressure (IOP), with/without concomitant corneal graft surgery. Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcome of trabeculectomy and AGV implantation in ICE syndrome. Methods: Patients with glaucoma secondary to ICE syndrome who underwent either trabeculectomy or AGV surgery with intraoperative adjunctive mitomycin-C from 2009 to 2020 were included in this study. All patients were followed for at least 6 months after initial surgery. The main outcome measures were IOP, number of IOP-lowering medications, and surgical success. Surgical success was defined as complete according to the levels of IOP (<18) and at least 20% reduction from preoperative IOP without medications and qualified as a complete success but with medications, where the number of medications was less than preoperative numbers. Cumulative success was the sum of the qualified and complete success. Results: Twenty-nine eyes of 29 patients were included. Trabeculectomy was done in 13 patients (group A, 44.8%) and 16 patients underwent AGV surgery (group B, 55.2%). The median age was 50 (42-56.50) and 47 (36.75-52.75) years in groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.10). All patients completed at least 2 years of follow-up. Mean IOP was not significantly different between groups preoperatively (P = 0.70) and the effect of the type of surgery on IOP was not statistically significant at multiple follow-up time points (repeated measures analysis of variance, P = 0.44). The mean IOP decreased from 35.76 +/- 6.36 mm Hg preoperatively to 16.00 +/- 3.10 in group A and from 36.12 +/- 8.11 mm Hg to 17.00 +/- 3.75 in group B (P = 0.449) at year 2 of follow-up. The effect of the type of surgery was not significant on the total number of IOP-lowering medications used throughout the study (repeated measures analysis of variance, P = 0.81). Kaplan-Meier analysis shows complete success in 14 patients (48.3%), 11 patients (37.9%), and 7 patients (24.1%) at 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up, respectively. The cumulative success rate was 95% at 2 years follow-up for all patients. Conclusions: In 2-year follow-up, trabeculectomy or AGV significantly reduced the IOP in glaucoma patients secondary to ICE syndrome.