Abstract
Purpose:To describe short term outcomes of Ahmed Glaucoma Valve [AGV] implantation in East African patients.Materials and Methods:In this multi-center retrospective case series we reviewed eyes of Black African patients with refractory glaucoma, treated consecutively with Ahmed Glaucoma Valve implantation, in two centers in Kenya between January 2006 and October 2007.Results:About 25 cases including 18 [72%] pediatric eyes and seven [28%] adult eyes were identified. Results have been presented with a median follow-up of two months with inter-quartile range [IQR] of one to 12 months. intraocular pressure [IOP] was reduced from a mean of 36.4 mmHg preoperatively to 16.7 mmHg and glaucoma medications were lowered from a mean of 1.32 before surgery to 0.2 after surgery. The success rate during short term follow-up was 79%. The mean visual acuity dropped slightly from 6/18 pre-operatively to 6/24. There was only one major complication of an extruded, infected valve in a child.Conclusions:The Ahmed Valve Implant is safe and effective in lowering IOP for the short term in pediatric and adult East African patients with refractory glaucoma. Further studies with more patients and longer term follow-up are needed in this population.
Highlights
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide which disproportionately affects the black race, often with greater challenges in diagnosis and management1
To describe short term outcomes of Ahmed Glaucoma Valve implantation in East African patients. In this multi-center retrospective observational case series we reviewed eyes of patients with refractory glaucoma treated consecutively with Ahmed Glaucoma Valve implant in two centers in Kenya between January 2006 and October 2007
There was only one major complication of an extruded, infected valve that resulted in removal of the implant in a pediatric patient
Summary
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide which disproportionately affects the black race, often with greater challenges in diagnosis and management. It is important that the management method for glaucoma be reevaluated in an attempt to find more appropriate management recommendations for this population. Our purpose is to evaluate the indications and outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve implants performed to date in the black population at two institutions in East Africa. We hope that data gleaned from this early experience will form a basis for subsequent random controlled trials for glaucoma tube surgery versus the traditional filtering procedure in this population
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