Phacotrabeculectomy with MMC better than phaco alone for improving IOP control in glaucoma patients with cataracts

The authors of this prospective randomized clinical trial assigned 51 patients with medically uncontrolled chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) with coexisting cataract to receive phacoemulsification alone or combined phacotrabeculectomy with adjunctive mitomycin C. Based upon the study's results, the authors concluded that combined phacotrabeculectomy with adjunctive mitomycin C was more effective than phacoemulsification alone at controlling IOP in these patients but was associated with more postoperative complications.

Combined phacotrabeculectomy resulted in significantly lower mean postoperative IOP than phacoemulsification alone 18 months after surgery (13.6 vs. 15.9 mmHg), and patients required fewer topical glaucoma drugs, a result that was highly significant (P < 0.001). However, combined surgery was associated with significantly more postoperative complications (P <0.001) and optic neuropathy progression (P =0.03) compared with phacoemulsification alone.

Financial Disclosures
Dr. Singh has no financial interests to disclose.