USE OF THE MEGASOFT BANDAGE LENS FOR TREATMENT OF COMPLICATIONS AFTER TRABECULECTOMY

Shallow anterior chambers and leaking filtration blebs are possible complications after trabeculectomy that can be treated with therapeutic contact lenses. In most cases, however, treatment fails because these lenses are not large enough to cover the filtering bleb. We evaluated the use of a newly developed large diameter (20.5 mm) therapeutic soft contact lens. Five patients with shallow anterior chambers and ten patients with leaking filtering blebs after trabeculectomy were fitted with this new extended-wear contact lens. All patients with shallow anterior chambers developed deep chambers after a mean treatment period of five days. Of the ten patients with leaking filtering blebs, in eight (80%) the leak closed after a mean treatment period of 2.2 months. The contact lens used was comfortable and complications occurred in only one eye. This new therapeutic device is an improvement in the treatment of complications after trabeculectomy.