SUBCONJUNCTIVAL RETENTION OF C3F8 GAS INCREASED SUCCESS RATES OF TRABECULECTOMY IN RABBITS

The effect of subconjunctival retention of perfluoropropane (C3F8) gas on rabbit trabeculectomy was evaluated in this study to determine if this maneuver would increase the success rate of the surgery. Sixteen New Zealand white rabbits underwent trabeculectomy in the right eyes a nd trabeculectomy with subconjunctival retention of 0.3 mL C3F8 gas in the left eyes were used as animal models. One week and six weeks afte r the operations, the intraocular pressure (IOP) dynamics were compare d between the two eyes after intravenous infusion of 0.9% NaCl sterile solution. The results showed that the average retention time of C3F8 gas within the subconjunctival space in the rabbits was 9.5 +/- 2.3 da ys. There were four parameters available in comparing IOP dynamics: Ti me Needed to Reach Peak IOP (TNRPI); Ascending Slope (AS); Peak IOP (P I) and Time Needed to Return to the Original IOP (TNROI). It was noted that at the 7(th) day after the operations, the IOPs in both eyes of the rabbits were not significantly increased after intravenous infusio n of 0.9% NaCl solution. At the 42(nd) day, after 0.9% NaCl intravenou s infusion, the eyes that had undergone trabeculectomy and subconjunct ival retention of C3F8 gas had less IOP spiking than eyes that had und ergone trabeculectomy alone (TNRPI: 6.7+/-2.2 vs. 4.2+/-2.9, p=0.01, A S: 0.5+/-0.3 vs. 2.8+/-2.7, p=0.002, PI: 24.4+/-9.6 vs.18.7+/-7.4, p=0 .07 and TNROI: 6.8+/-5.8 vs. 14.7+/-11, p=0.02). Our study suggested t hat subconjunctival retention of C3F8 gas increased the success rate o f trabeculectomy in rabbits in the short-term follow-up period.