Augmented MP-TSCPC for the management of elevated IOP in glaucomatous eyes

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness and safety of augmented vs. traditional Micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (MP-TSCPC) settings in the treatment of glaucoma. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. The main outcome measures were the Kaplan-Meier analyses comparing the cumulative probabilities of survival between the augmented and traditional MP-TSCPC groups in terms of IOP and glaucoma medication reduction. Augmented MP-TSCPC consisted of treatment with a higher mean power, longer duration, and use of both sweeping and stopand-continue techniques. Additional outcome measures included changes in average IOP, number of glaucoma medications, visual acuity, and the prevalence of complication rates. Measurements were obtained at 1 day, 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Results: 45 eyes of 45 patients were included in the augmented MP-TSCPC group, and 45 eyes of 45 patients were included in the traditional MP-TSCPC group. The mean IOP reductions at 1 year were 7.93 ± 10.05 mm Hg and 7.55 mm Hg (p=0.9) in the augmented and traditional MP-TSCPC groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of complications reported at any postoperative visits. There was a significant difference between the survival curves of the augmented and traditional MP-TSCPC in terms of both IOP reduction (p=0.041), and glaucoma medication reduction (p=0.037). Conclusions: Augmented MP-TSCPC appears to provide for greater long-term IOP control than traditional MP-TSCPC without compromising safety.