Amniotic membrane as an adjunct to donor sclera in the repair of exposed glaucoma drainage devices.

Abstract

To describe a novel method of repairing exposed glaucoma drainage devices (GDD) using amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) in place of conjunctiva to cover donor sclera when conjunctival closure is hampered by adjacent scarring. Retrospective noncomparative interventional case series. Consecutive case series of nine GDD erosions over 5 years repaired by a double-layer technique of scleral allograft plus AMT. Successful repair was achieved in seven cases. One GDD plate re-eroded after pars plana vitrectomy; a second leaked from the tube entry site. AMT is a safe and useful conjunctival substitute to cover donor sclera in situations where conjunctival scarring might otherwise preclude successful repair.