Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of a new aqueous humor drainage implant made in China for treatment of refractory glaucoma.
Methods: The implant was designed by ourselves and manufactured by Beijing Rubber Products Design & Research Institute. From July 1993 to September 1995, we observed 40 cases (41 eyes) with refractory glaucoma treated with the implantation surgery, including neovascular glaucoma (NVG) 16 eyes, non-neovascular glaucoma (NNVG) 25 eyes.
Results: The mean period of postoperative follow-up was 9.2 (range 3-27 months) months, the IOP was lowered from preoperative 7.20 +/- 1.51 kPa to postoperative 2.40 +/- 1.33 kPa in NVG group and from preoperative 6.27 +/- 1.07 kPa to postoperative 2.00 +/- 2.93 kPa in NNVG group. The success rate was 81% in NVG group and 84% in NNVG group. The common postoperative complications were flat anterior chamber, hyphema, choroidal detachment and so on.
Conclusions: Our newly designed aqueous humordrainage implant provides an economic implant in China. The method of implantation is simple, is one of the effective methods for treatment of refractory glaucoma and can be widely used in clinics.