Objective: To evaluate the surgical effectiveness of glaucoma valve devices for refractory glaucoma following vitrectomy surgery.

Methods: Sixteen eyes of 15 patients suffering from secondary glaucoma following vitrectomy were treated with glaucoma valve implantation, all of the eyes were in critical condition, and the intraocular pressure failed to control after the silicone oil removal and/or with glaucoma medication. Among them, 13 eyes underwent Ahmed valve implantation and 3 eyes underwent Krupin disk implantation.

Results: The mean follow-up was 18.5 months. The total success rate was 76.9% at 3 months, 70.0% at 6 months and 66.7% at one year or longer. The postoperative complications included transient hyphema, early postoperative hypotony, choroidal detachment, shallow anterior chamber and obstruction of the tube tip.

Conclusions: The glaucoma valve device is a safe and effective method for refractory glaucoma following vitrectomy, especially for the patients who have a certain level of visual acuity.