Trabeculectomy with brief exposure to mitomycin C.

Background: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of primary trabeculectomy with brief exposure (15 s) to mitomycin C (MMC) (0.4 mg/mL).

Methods: Medical record review of all patients who underwent primary trabeculectomy with brief exposure to MMC at the Goldschleger Eye Institute in a 4-year period was performed.

Results: Sixty-three patients (35 men, mean age of 55 years) underwent trabeculectomy with brief exposure to MMC. Intraocular pressure (IOP) decreased a mean +/- standard deviation of 17.9 +/- 9.6 mmHg from 30.4 +/- 9.5 mmHg preoperatively to 12.5 +/- 6.2 mmHg postoperatively after a mean follow up of 18.3 months (P < 0.001). Number of antiglaucoma medications decreased from 2.9 +/- 1.1 preoperatively to 0.2 +/- 0.4 postoperatively (P < 0.001, paired samples t-test). Complete success, defined as IOP < 18 mmHg without antiglaucoma medication, was achieved in 46 patients (73%) and qualified success, defined as IOP

Conclusions: Trabeculectomy with brief (15 s) exposure to MMC 0.4 mg/mL is safe and effective in lowering IOP in this group of patients, and results in low rate of postoperative complications. Success is comparable to reported data with longer exposure durations to antimetabolites.