Effect of topical anti-inflammatory treatment on the long-term outcome of laser trabeculoplasty. Fluorometholone-Laser Trabeculoplasty Study Group.

Abstract

To investigate the effect of anti-inflammatory treatment on the long-term outcome of argon laser trabeculoplasty, we extended the short-term study of the Fluorometholone-Laser Trabeculoplasty Study Group. Among the chronic open-angle glaucoma patients randomly assigned to the 0.25% fluorometholone or placebo eyedrops four times daily before and after argon laser trabeculoplasty in the Fluorometholone-Laser Trabeculoplasty Study, the long-term records of 27 patients (13 eyes in the fluorometholone group and 14 eyes in the placebo group) were available for our review and analysis. There were no statistically significant differences in the success rate of argon laser trabeculoplasty between the fluorometholone and control groups over the follow-up period of 4.6 +/- 3.4 years. While it decreased ocular inflammation and discomfort during the early postoperative period, peri-argon laser trabeculoplasty use of a topical corticosteroid did not influence the long-term intraocular pressure outcome of argon laser trabeculoplasty.