The smallest incision group had the least surgically induced astigmatism and axial change. All incision groups remained stable and had satisfactory clinical results.

No abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a therapy change from timolol to betaxolol on ocular blood flow in patients with open-angle glaucoma. This randomized double-blind study comprised 34 consecutive patients with open-angle glaucoma, already treated with either timolol alone or in combination with other antiglaucoma agents. The patients were randomly allocated to receive either betaxolol (n = 17) or timolol (n = 17) instead of the present timolol drops. Additional antiglaucoma therapy remained unchanged. The retinal blood flow was assessed by scanning laser Doppler flowmetry and the pulsatile choroidal blood flow was assessed by laser interferometric measurement of fundus pulsation amplitude. Ocular blood flow measurement as well as systemic hemodynamic and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were performed at baseline and 1 week and 1 and 3 months after the therapy change. Visual field testing was performed at baseline and at 3 months. After 3 months of treatment with either timolol or betaxolol, neither the retinal nor the pulsatile choroidal blood flow were significantly altered. The power to detect a 9% change in pulsatile choroidal blood flow and a 20% change in retinal blood flow in the present study was 90%. The IOP was not significantly altered in either group. In contrast, visual fields slightly improved after betaxolol treatment compared to baseline (p = 0.047), but this effect was not significant versus timolol. Changing therapy from timolol to betaxolol has no effect on ocular blood flow in patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Our satisfactory long-term results suggest an excellent biocompatibility of the IOL's design and material.

The combination of phacoemulsification and implantation of foldable intraocular lenses through a small incision with a trabeculectomy is increasingly preferred in glaucoma patients with coexisting cataract. Small incisions induce less astigmatism and thereby enhance visual recovery. This study should clarify if this benefit of small incision cataract surgery is preserved when combined with a trabeculectomy. Thirty-five eyes were included in this study. Preoperative astigmatism measurements were compared with those obtained one month and one year postoperatively. Vector analysis was performed. A series of 30 cases which underwent small incision cataract surgery alone were used as a control group. One month postoperatively the eyes undergoing the combined procedure showed about the same with-the-rule astigmatic peak (mean: +0.32 dpt.) as the control group eyes (mean: +0.26 dpt.; p > 0.05). One year postoperatively both groups showed the same against-the-rule astigmatic shift (mean: -0.28 dpt.; p > 0.05). In conclusion, patients undergoing small incision cataract surgery combined with trabeculectomy showed a small amount of surgically induced astigmatism. When compared with patients which underwent small incision cataract surgery alone, the difference in astigmatic changes was found to be statistically not significant.