ISSN 0886-3067

Volume No 32 Issue No 4

Efficacy and Complications of Modified Laser Iridotomy in Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and immediate complications of modified laser iridotomy in primary angle-closure glaucoma. Study Design: Case series. Place & Duration of Study: Department of Ophthalmology, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Hyderabad, Pakistan from November 2011 to May 2012. Material and Methods: In this study 115 Patients of 41 to 60 years, with diagnosis of primary angle closure glaucoma were included, while patients with secondary angle closure glaucoma and all those patients in whom angle was not visible due to corneal opacity or haze were excluded from the study. Prior to laser therapy all patients were explained about the procedure and a written consent was obtained. A combination of Argon and YAG for laser iridotomy (modified laser iridotomy) was used in all the patients. The patients were followed-up at 1stday, 1stweek, and 4 weeks after treatment with slit lamp examination and intraocular pressure measurement. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Results: 88 patients (76.5%) had intraocular pressure reduction of more than 8 mm Hg and14 (12.17) patients had reduction in IOP 5 to 8 mm Hg, while only 13 (11.3%) patients had reduction of less than 5 mm Hg after 4 weeks. Among the complications, iritis was the most frequent complication noted, 95 (82.6%) patients had iritis on day one, which reduced to 03 (2.61%) patients after 4 weeks. Conclusion: Modified laser iridotomy (Argon followed by Nd: YAG Laser) is an effective treatment option for Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma, with few reversible side effects. Key words: Angle Closure, Glaucoma, Laser Procedures, iridotomy