An international glaucoma study showed use of the Glaukos iStent trabecular micro-bypass stent during cataract surgery delivered a 38% reduction in mean intraocular pressure (IOP) to 14.7 mmHg after five years of follow-up.

Conducted in Munich, Germany, the prospective, non-randomised, consecutive case series included 65 eyes of 43 patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Thirty-eight percent of eyes had undergone prior trabeculectomy and/or glaucoma laser procedures and 68% were on at least two preoperative glaucoma medications.

Published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, for eyes followed through five years (n=26 eyes), the study also found:

• A total of 92% of eyes had IOP ≤18 mmHg and 65% had IOP ≤15 mmHg.
• Mean medication use declined 75% to 0.5 topical ocular hypotensive medications, vs. 2.0 preoperatively.
• Approximately 69% of eyes were medication-free vs. 5% preoperatively.
• The safety profile was favorable throughout follow-up.

“The five-year outcomes for this study – which demonstrated appreciable reductions in IOP and medications along with an excellent safety profile – are among the longest of any published report on the use of trabecular micro-bypass stents in combination with cataract surgery,” said Dr Neuhann, who performed all of the procedures and authored the study. “Importantly, the dataset evaluated outcomes in a varied patient population in terms of the type of glaucoma and the level of disease severity, and included many patients with significant preoperative medication burden and a history of prior glaucoma surgeries. This realistic scenario makes the outcomes particularly relevant for the typical ophthalmic practice, which must regularly evaluate treatment options for a wide range of glaucoma patients’ needs.”