EFFECTS OF POSTOPERATIVE MITOMYCIN-C ON GLAUCOMA FILTRATION SURGERY IN RABBITS TREATED PREOPERATIVELY WITH ANTIGLAUCOMA MEDICATIONS

In a rabbit model, we evaluated the effects of topically applied posto perative mitomycin C (MMC) on the success rate of glaucoma filtration surgery in animals treated preoperatively with pilocarpine hydrochlori de 4% and levobunolol hydrochloride (Betagan) for 16 weeks. Full-thick ness filtration surgery was performed with a single 5-minute intraoper ative exposure to a sponge soaked with 0.4 mg/mL MMC of one eye in nin e rabbits in one group (group A) and to both eyes in 13 rabbits in a s econd group (group B). In addition, one eye of each rabbit in group B received a daily drop of 0.4 mg/mL MMC for 13 days after the operation . All of the eyes were then followed for 80 days. The intraoperatively applied MMC enhanced the success rate of the filtration surgery in th e group A eyes. However, the eyes that also received postoperative dro ps of MMC (group B) had longer periods of reduced intraocular pressure (IOP) (P [chi-squared = 5.94] < .025) fewer bleb failures (P [chi-squ ared = 8.09] < .005), and more complications than the eyes that receiv ed only intraoperative MMC.