Effect of Phacoemulsification Subtype on the Efficacy of Previously Performed Glaucoma Surgery

Purpose : to compare the efficacy of existing glaucoma surgery after phacoemulsification (PE) and femtosecond PE (femtoPE). Patients and methods . Study included 30 patients (30 eyes) who have undergone a non-penetrative glaucoma surgery with Burrato II cataract. Patients were evenly distributed to the PE and femtoPE groups. Cataract surgery was performed from 3 months to 1 year after glaucoma surgery. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was evaluated before surgery, on week 1, months 1, 3, and 6. Results . Baseline IOP was comparable in both groups: 17,5 ± 1,3 mmHg in a PE group and 17,9 ± 1,5 mmHg in a femtoPE group. In a PE group a statistically significant IOP increase happened on week 1 and month 1, in a femtoPE group it happened only on week 1. In comparison to the femtoPE group, the PE group was associated with bigger IOP increase after 1 week and 1 month (week 1: 17,0 ± 3,6 and 13,2 ± 1,9 mmHg, respectively; month 1: 13,5 ± 2,2 and 13,0 ± 0,7 mmHg, respectively). In months 3 and 6, there was no intergroup difference (12,2 ± 2,1 and 12,5 ± 1,6 mmHg, respectively; 13,3 ± 1,0 and 12,1 ± 1,8 mmHg, respectively). In all follow-up terms amount of hypotensive eyedrops was bigger in the PE group. Conclusion . FemtoPE is safer than PE in eyes with previous glaucoma surgery. Such eyes are more likely to require hypotensive therapy after PE, rather than after femtoPE, for IOP compensation.