Changes to glaucoma surgery patterns during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a shift towards less invasive procedures

Abstract

Purpose The aim of the study was to compare the quantity, type of glaucoma surgeries, and the disease stage before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods This was a retrospective, single-centre consecutive case series that included medical records of patients who underwent glaucoma surgery at the University Hospital in Białystok between 4 September, 2018, and 3 March, 2020 (pre-pandemic group) and compared it with patients treated between 4 March, 2020, and 4 September, 2021 (pandemic group). Adult patients with primary or secondary open-angle or closed-angle glaucoma who underwent surgery were included in this study. Finally, 534 operated eyes (362 and 172 eyes operated on before and during the pandemic, respectively) were examined. Results The number of glaucoma surgeries dropped by 50% during the pandemic compared to a similar pre-pandemic period, with a significant difference in the kind of procedure between the two groups (p < 0.001). The most common procedures in the pre-pandemic group were Ex-Press implantation (33.7%) and trabeculectomy (31.5%). Within the pandemic group, half of the eyes underwent trabeculectomy (50.0%), followed by Preserflo microshunt (11.6%), iStent (8.7%), and transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (TSCP) (8.7%). A significant difference in the average intraocular pressure was revealed among patients who qualified for surgery. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with a decrease in the number of extended antiglaucoma procedures and an increase in the number of short procedures performed, such as TSCP and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. Key Messages Our study has shown the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in reducing the number of antiglaucoma procedures. The number of glaucoma surgeries dropped by 50% during the pandemic compared to those in a similar pre-pandemic period, and the type of performed procedures has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with a decrease in the number of combined antiglaucoma procedures, in opposite: the number of minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries increased due to safety reasons.