Evaluation of the effectiveness of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in patients with open angle glaucoma

Abstract

Glaucoma is second leading cause of blindness in world. Various treatment modalities are available for glaucoma management. Thus, the question arises whether SLT can be interchangeably used in place of medical drugs or not. To examine the effect of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) as a replacement therapy for medically controlled primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients. A longitudinal study SLT was performed in 30 eyes of 15 patients with medically controlled primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) cases from June 2018 to October 2019 and with no previous history of glaucoma surgery. Data were recorded 1 hr, 1day, 1 week, 1, 3 and 6 months after SLT. The primary outcome was number of medications at 6 months while maintaining a predetermined target intraocular pressure (IOP). Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) reduced number of medications from a mean of 1.6 at baseline to 0.17 after 6 months. Meanwhile, SLT achieved more than 20% IOP lowering in 100% of eyes after 6 months. Eighty seven percent of our eyes no longer needed any medication after SLT at 6 months.Selective laser trabeculoplasty was able to completely replace medical therapy in 87% of eyes after 6 months. Medically managed POAG patients who underwent SLT, maintained good IOP control with less medications, better compliance, reduced side effects and financial burden.