Trabeculectomy with releasable sutures -: A prospective, randomized pilot study

Objective: To compare the short-term and long-term efficacy of using releasable sutures vs conventional interrupted sutures for scleral flap suturing in trabeculectomy. Design: A prospective randomized study. Setting: A university-affiliated referral eye hospital. Patients: Thirty consecutive patients requiring trabeculectomy for uncontrolled primary glaucoma. Intervention: Fifteen patients underwent trabeculectomy with permanent interrupted sutures; the same number underwent trabeculectomy with releasable sutures. Main Outcome Measures: Incidence of short-term shallowing of anterior chamber or hypotony and related complications, and long-term intraocular pressure control and bleb score. Results: The mean percentage reduction in intraocular pressure on day 1 in the group with releasable sutures was 55.2%, while only a 0.8% reduction in anterior chamber depth was noted. This compared with figures of 59.3% and 10.1%, respectively, in the group without releasable sutures. Hypotony (intraocular pressure less than or equal to 6 mm Hg) was noted in 8 (53%) of cases without releasable sutures and 3 (20%) of cases with releasable sutures. Shallow anterior chamber (central anterior chamber depth, less than or equal to 1 mm) was noted in 5 (33%) of cases without releasable sutures and 1 (7%) of cases with releasable sutures. The mean +/- SD final bleb score was 5.4+/-0.3 in the group with releasable sutures compared with 4.2 +/- 0.6 in the group without releasable sutures (P<.001). The mean +/- SD final intraocular pressure at the end of 12 months was 16.9 +/- 1.2 mm Hg in the group without releasable sutures and 15.0 +/- 0.9 mm Hg in the group with releasable sutures (P<.001). Final intraocular pressure was controlled (intraocular pressure less than or equal to 21 mm Hg) in all patients in the group with releasable sutures, giving a success rate of 100%, and in 12 patients in the group without releasable sutures, giving a success rate of 80%. Conclusions: Use of releasable sutures is an effective way at no extra cost or instrumentation to maximize the longterm bleb scare and lower intraocular pressure, and to minimize the short-term complications of trabeculectomy.