Efficacy and safety of single Ultrasound Cyclo-Plasty to treat refractory glaucoma: Results at 1 year

Purpose: To evaluate clinical efficacy and safety of single Ultrasound Cyclo-Plasty (UCP) in the treatment of advanced refractory glaucoma. Methods: From January 2018 to August 2018, 25 patients (25 eyes) with refractory glaucoma and intraocular pressure (IOP) not controlled by drugs or conventional filtering surgery were included in the study. All subjects (neovascular glaucoma [n = 12], secondary glaucoma [n = 6], angle closure glaucoma [n = 6], and primary open angle glaucoma [n = 1]) underwent 8-sector Ultrasound Cyclo-Plasty. Patients were followed-up at Day 1, Week 1, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, during which the IOP, the number of IOP lowering drugs and the occurrence of ocular complications were recorded. Clinical outcomes were IOP reduction, success rate, and ocular complications. According to the glaucoma type, patients were divided into a neovascular group (NVG) and a non-NVG group for sub-analysis. Results: All patients underwent a single UCP procedure and mean IOP reduced significantly from 39.7 +/- 6.1 mmHg before UCP to 27.1 +/- 11.0 mmHg at 1 year (p < 0.01) corresponding to a mean IOP reduction of 29.6%. The mean number of IOP-lowering drugs used was 2.4 +/- 1.2 at baseline and 2.3 +/- 1.0 at 12 months. Success rate after a single UCP procedure was achieved in 41.7% patients at 1 year, with a higher success rate in non-NVG than in the NVG group. No major postoperative complications were reported. The main complication was conjunctival congestion, anterior chamber inflammation, scleral ring congestion, and scleral inprint. Of these, scleral ring congestion and scleral imprint are relatively rare complications, which can still be observed 12 months after UCP treatment. Conclusion: UCP for refractory glaucoma is effective in reducing IOP and has a good safety profile. Success rate is lower after a single UCP in NVG than for other types of glaucoma.