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SARWAR ZAHID, DAVID C. MUSCH, LESLIE M. NIZIOL, AND PAUL R. LICHTER, ON BEHALF OF THE
COLLABORATIVE INITIAL GLAUCOMA TREATMENT STUDY GROUP
PURPOSE: To report the risk of endophthalmitis and tomy cohort of the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treat-
other long-term complications in patients randomized to ment Study. (Am J Ophthalmol 2013;155:674680.
trabeculectomy in the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma 2013 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Treatment Study.
DESIGN: A longitudinal cohort study using data
T
collected from a multicenter, randomized clinical trial. RABECULECTOMY IS THE MOST COMMON PENE-
METHODS: Long-term postoperative complications in trating surgical intervention for the treatment of
the 300 patients randomized to trabeculectomy in the open-angle glaucoma.1 Although this filtering
Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study were surgical procedure has been used widely over the past
tabulated. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate several decades, the concern for complications of filtering
the time-related probabilities of blebitis, hypotony, and surgery, especially endophthalmitis, has given rise to
endophthalmitis. several nonfiltering surgical procedures that putatively
RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-five patients were carry a lower risk of endophthalmitis.2 Discussions around
included in the final trabeculectomy cohort after such procedures as viscocanalostomy, deep sclerectomy,
accounting for declining treatment assignment and other and canaloplasty have emphasized the risks of endophthal-
early events. Patients were followed up for an average of mitis from standard filtering procedures as compared with
7.2 years. One hundred sixty-three patients (57%) nonpenetrating surgery.3,4 Similarly, procedures such as
received 5-fluorouracil during surgery. Of the mechanical goniotomy, tube shunts, and intraocular
247 patients with at least 5 years of follow-up, 50 shunting devices have been promoted as having lower
required further treatment for glaucoma. Cataract extrac- risks for endophthalmitis because they do not produce
tion was performed in 57 patients (20%). Forty patients a filtering bleb.58 In addition to the risk of
(14%) required bleb revision at least once. Bleb-related endophthalmitis, there is a paucity of data on longer-
complications included bleb leak (n [ 15), blebitis term complications of trabeculectomy.
(n [ 8), and hypotony (n [ 4). Three patients were An earlier communication reported on the intraopera-
noted to have endophthalmitis, although the diagnosis tive and early postoperative complications of initial
in 2 patients was presumptive. The occurrences of blebi- treatment with trabeculectomy in the Collaborative Initial
tis, hypotony, or endophthalmitis were not significantly Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS), a multicenter,
associated with 5-fluorouracil use. The Kaplan-Meier randomized, clinical trial that was unique in its comparison
calculated risks of blebitis and hypotony at 5 years were of trabeculectomy versus topical medications as initial
both 1.5%, whereas the risk of endophthalmitis was treatment for patients with newly diagnosed open-angle
1.1%. glaucoma.9 Up to 1 month of postoperative follow-up
CONCLUSIONS: The potential efficacy of trabeculec- revealed only transient, self-limited complications of trabe-
tomy must be weighed against the long-term risk of culectomy, none of which were expected to result in
complications, especially endophthalmitis, when select- subsequent loss of visual acuity (VA). With subsequent
ing treatments for patients with open-angle glaucoma. follow-up of the study patients for an average of 7.2 years
We report a low 5-year risk of endophthalmitis (1.1%) and up to 11 years, we now report on the longer-term
and other bleb-related complications in the trabeculec- surgical complications, especially those such as endoph-
thalmitis that have major implications for visual loss.
Accepted for publication Oct 19, 2012. Although the lack of serious short-term complications
From the Kellogg Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology and of trabeculectomy in the CIGTS is encouraging, the
Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (S.Z.,
D.C.M., L.M.N., P.R.L.); and the Department of Epidemiology, School risk-to-benefit assessment of a consideration for trabeculec-
of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan tomy surgery must include consideration of longer-term
(D.C.M.). risks. Reported longer-term complications have included
Inquiries to Paul R. Lichter, Kellogg Eye Center, Department of
Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, 1000 visually significant cataract with increased rates of cataract
Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; e-mail: plichter@umich.edu extraction after trabeculectomy, as well as bleb-related
ALL AUTHORS HAVE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED THE ICMJE FORM FOR DISCLOSURE OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
and the following were reported. Dr Musch is a consultant for Glaukos Corporation and InnFocus, LLC; and is a board member of Ivantis, Inc, and AqueSys,
Inc. The remaining authors have no disclosures to report. The Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study was supported by Grants EY09100,
EY09140, EY09141, EY09142, EY09143, EY09144, EY09145, EY09148, EY09149, EY09150, and EY09639 from the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), Bethesda, Maryland. Dr Musch is supported by NIH Grant EY018690. An unrestricted grant from Allergan, Inc, allowed for the collection of
an additional 2 years of data. Involved in Design and conduct of study (S.Z., D.C.M., L.M.N., P.R.L.); Collection, management, analysis, and interpretation
of data (S.Z., D.C.M., L.M.N., P.R.L.); and preparation, review, or approval of manuscript (S.Z., D.C.M., L.M.N., P.R.L.). The authors thank Brittany
Benson, University of Michigan Medical School, for her assistance with data collection. Members of the CIGTS Study Group are listed in the Appendix
to Musch DC, et al. Ophthalmology 1999;106:653662.