Glaucoma Surgery: The Case for Trabeculectomy

In this presentation from the 2012 Annual Meeting, Dr. Philip Chen describes how trabeculectomy has evolved and improved with new techniques that have reduced the procedure's complication rate. Though far from perfect, recent prospective studies show that most early postoperative complications are relatively minor, usually transient, and of little consequence to long-term outcomes. Although new procedures may someday make trabeculectomy a relic of the past, Dr. Chen says it will remain a mainstay of glaucoma surgery for most patients requiring substantial, long-term IOP reduction to reduce the risk of going blind from glaucoma.