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The following is a summary of “Long-term efficacy and safety of XEN-45 gel stent implantation in patients with normal-tension glaucoma,” published in the June 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Nasyrov et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to verify whether the XEN-45 gel stent is effective and safe for long-term treatment of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) eyes with uncontrolled symptoms.
They reviewed patients with NTG who had XEN-45 gel stent surgery at University Hospital Tuebingen from 2016 to 2021. The primary outcome measured surgical success after three years as achieving ≥20% reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) with a target IOP between 6 and 15 mmHg. Secondary measures included changes in mean IOP, antiglaucoma medication use, needling rates, and complications.
The results showed that 28 eyes from 23 patients were included in the final analysis. Complete success was achieved in 56.6%, and qualified success in 75% after three years. Average postoperative IOP dropped significantly from 19.3 ± 2.0 mmHg to 13.7 ± 4.2 mmHg (n = 22, P< 0.0001). Median antiglaucoma medications decreased from 2[0-4] to 0[0-3] (P< 0.0001). Sixteen eyes (57%) needed a median of 1 needling procedure. One eye required additional glaucoma surgery, with no serious complications observed.
Investigators concluded that the XEN-45 stent is effective and safe for long-term treatment of NTG. However, frequent needling was necessary to achieve optimal outcomes.
Source: bmcophthalmol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12886-024-03522-6