SUBCONJUNCTIVAL RETENTION OF C3F8 GAS INCREASED THE SUCCESS RATES OF TRABECULECTOMY IN YOUNG-PEOPLE

In this study, the effect of subconjunctival retention of perfluoropro pane (C3F8) gas on trabeculectomy was evaluated to determine if this m aneuver would increase the success rate of the surgery. Thirty-two pat ients (under 35 years old) with a diagnosis of primary open-angle glau coma or steroid-induced glaucoma were randomized into two groups to re ceive trabeculectomy: Group A (trabeculectomy alone, 16 eyes) and Grou p B (trabeculectomy with subconjunctival retention of 0.5 mt pure C3F8 gas, 16 eyes). The results showed that the typical appearance of a su bconjunctivally retained C3F8 filtering bleb is highly distended in th e first two weeks after surgery, followed by flattening and diffusing gradually. The average retention time of C3F8 gas within the subconjun ctival space is 28 +/- 6 days. A higher success rate was noted in Grou p B than in Group A (94% versus 50%, p = 0.016) at a mean follow-up ti me of 12 months. However, there were no differences in complication ra tes and results of final visual acuity between the two groups (both gr oups had two patients lose more than two lines of vision, p=1.0). Our study suggests that subconjunctival retention of C3F8 gas increases th e success rate of trabeculectomy in young people in the intermediate-t erm (12 months) follow-up period.