A randomized trial of the long-term effects of digital ocular compression in the late postoperative period

Purpose: To determine whether digital ocular compression is a viable techni que to lower intraocular pressure in patients at least 3 months after trabe culectomy. Patients and Methods: A 6-month prospective, randomized, controlled, single -masked trial of 29 patients who underwent a trabeculectomy at the Glaucoma Service of Wills Eye Hospital. Patients were assigned to two groups: ocula r compression or cheekbone compression (control group). The ocular compress ion group performed compression to the operated eve three times a day in th e pattern of 10 seconds of pressure, 5 seconds of rest. and 10 seconds of p ressure. Pressure was applied with the index finger through the closed lid to the center of the cornea. Pressure was steady and firm, but not painful. No massaging was performed. The cheekbone compression group applied pressu re to the zygomatic arch with an identical style and frequency. Results: At 6 months. the change in mean intraocular pressure for the ocula r compression group was 0.25 mm Hg compared with -0.44 mm Hg for the contro l group (P = 0.7). A few patients in both groups experienced large swings i n intraocular pressure and mild to moderate discomfort. Conclusion: Ocular compression had little to no success in the long-term ma nagement of increased intraocular pressure in the late postoperative period in this study.