Phaco vs. Phaco-ELT vs. Phaco-Trabectome 12m

Glaucoma is one of the most common reasons for blindness. Usually an elevated drain resistance is the reason, while aqueous humor production is normal. Medical reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) is first line therapy in most cases. The gold standard of surgical treatment still is trabeculectomy (TE) but TE has a lot of drawbacks. In particular when glaucoma and cataract coexists, the investigators therefore prefer the combined procedure cataract extraction plus excimer laser trabeculotomy (ELT) or plus Trabectome. Indication is cataract and a moderate elevated IOP without medical therapy or a moderate cataract and elevated IOP with medical therapy.

The ELT is performed by an AIDA XeCl-Excimer Laser System (TUI-Laser AG, Germering, 1,2 mJ per burst, burst duration 16 ns, wave length 308 nm, spot diameter 200 µm). 10 foramina were made over 90 degrees of the anterior chamber angle. Trabectome procedure is performed with the Trabectome unit from Neomedix.

• Trial with medical device
• Trial with surgical intervention

Inclusion criteria

• All patients, which had Phaco, Phako/ELT, or Phaco-Trabectome from 01/2008 until 12/2011, where screened 12 month after surgery

Exclusion criteria

• IOP >35 mmHg