Effect of trabeculectomy in the treatment of primary angle-closure glaucoma combined with cataract: A case control study

Abstract

Abstract Background Elderly cataract patients usually accompany primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), leading to a series of pathophysiological changes in the patient’s eyes. While, the treatment of PACG combined with cataracts remains controversial. Methods A retrospective case control study was conducted. One hundred patients with PACG comorbid with cataract who were treated by phacoemulsification, intraocular lens implantation and trabeculectomy were selected as the study group. And another one hundred patients with PACG comorbid with cataract who were treated by phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation were selected as the control group. The intraocular pressure (IOP), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), corneal endothelial cell density, average cell area, anterior chamber depth, anterior chamber angle width, and surgery complications before and after surgery were compared between the two groups. Results One month and three months after surgery, the IOP and BCVA of the study group were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The corneal endothelial cell density of patients in the two groups at one and three months after operation was lower than that before the operation (P < 0.05), and the average cell area was larger than that before the operation (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the depth of the anterior chamber and the width of the anterior chamber angle between the two groups (P > 0.05). The depth and width of the anterior chamber angle in the study group were higher than those of the control at one month and three months after surgery (P < 0.05). The complication rate was lower in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions Phacoemulsification, intraocular lens implantation and trabeculectomy for the treatment of PACG patients with cataract is effective and safe.