SCLERAL FLAP SUTURES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHALLOW OR FLAT ANTERIOR-CHAMBER AFTER TRABECULECTOMY

To determine whether closing the scleral flap with extra sutures can r educe the risk of overfiltration after trabeculectomy, we divided 339 trabeculectomies into three groups based on the number of scleral flap sutures used in the procedure, and studied the postoperative complica tions and results. The incidence of shallow or flat anterior chamber w as significantly less in eyes that had received seven to nine sutures than in those that had received from two to six. Also, the incidence o f cornea-lens touch was significantly less in the eyes with seven to n ine sutures (P = .02, Fisher Exact Test). This study suggests that ext ra scleral flap sutures (in combination with laser suture lysis) is a safe and effective method of significantly reducing the risk of overfi ltration after trabeculectomy.