Purpose: This study was performed to provide results 2 to 3 years afte
r trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC). Methods: A consecutive series
of all 68 patients who underwent trabeculectomy with MMC was analyzed
using Kaplan-Meier life-table statistics and compared with other publ
ished retrospective analyses. Results: At 2- and 3-year follow-up exam
inations, 59% (95% confidence interval [CI], 44-70%) and 47% (95% CI,
32-61%) of patients, respectively, avoided an intraocular pressure (IO
P) of more than 21 mmHg or less than 20% below their preoperative leve
l without glaucoma medication on two consecutive occasions more than 1
month apart after 3 months follow-up (75% [95% CI, 60-84%] and 70% [9
5% CI, 53-81%], respectively, with medication) and avoided additional
glaucoma surgery. Loss of more than three lines of visual acuity on tw
o occasions more than 1 month apart after 3 months follow-up occurred
in 28% of patients (>2 lines in 44%) at 3 years. Nonreversible causes
of loss of three lines of acuity occurred in 13% of patients. Complica
tions requiring reoperation occurred in 16% of patients and included h
ypotony maculopathy (4%) and late bleb leaks (4%). Conclusions: At the
3-year follow-up evaluation, trabeculectomy with MMC provided an appr
oximately 50% chance of maintaining IOPs less than 21 mmHg and a more
than 20% IOP reduction without concomitant use of glaucoma medication,
which increased to 70% with the addition of medication. This procedur
e was associated with an approximately 30% risk of substantial visual
loss (approximately 15% nonreversible) and a 15% chance of reoperation
for complications.