Comparison of the Ahmed and Baerveldt Glaucoma Drainage Implants in the Treatment of Primary Congenital Glaucoma

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of the Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) (New World Medical, Inc) with the Baerveldt glaucoma implant (BGI) (Johnson & Johnson Vision) in primary congenital glaucoma (PCG).Methods: This was a retrospective review of children with PCG who underwent AGV or BGI implantation with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Main outcome measures were intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of glaucoma medications, success rate, complications, and surgical revisions.Results:The study included 153 eyes of 86 patients (120 eyes in the AGV group and 33 eyes in the BGI group), and the mean follow-up period was 58.7 +/- 6.9 months in the AGV group and 58.5 +/- 5.0 months in the BGI group. At baseline, IOP was lower in the AGV group (33 +/- 6.3 vs 36.4 +/- 6.1 months; P = .004) and the number of glaucoma medications was comparable between groups (3.4 +/- 0.9 vs 3.6 +/- 0.5 medication; P = .183). At 5 years, the mean IOP (18.4 +/- 5.0 vs 16.3 +/- 2.5 mm Hg; P = .004) and number of glaucoma medications (2.1 +/- 1.3 vs 1.0 +/- 1.0 medication; P = .001) were significantly less in the BGI group. Furthermore, the surgical success was 53.4% in the AGV group and 78.8% in the BGI group (P = .013).Conclusions: Both the AGV and BGI were successful in providing adequate IOP control in patients with PCG. Long-term follow-up showed that the BGI was associated with a lower IOP, fewer glaucoma medications, and a higher success rate.[J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 20XX;X(X):XX-XX.]