Role of cortisone in glaucoma surgery; experimental results.

Abstract

THE GOAL of all types of surgery employing an iris-inclusion or a trephine technique is to establish a permanent patent fistula from the anterior chamber to the subconjunctival spaces. However, the fundamental drawback of all such operations has been the too frequent failure of these artificially created channels to remain patent; in too many cases the pathways so created are obliterated when the normal process of wound healing occurs. Any process or drug which could delay fibrous tissue formation would be a boon indeed to the ophthalmic surgeon practicing glaucoma surgery. In 1950 Ragan and associates,1while working on rabbits, demonstrated that cortisone had the ability to delay wound healing. Spain and associates,2employing mice, came to the same conclusion, stating: Unquestionably, cortisone inhibits the formation of granulation tissue.... The effect is rapid and of short duration. Spain and his co-workers also found that cortisone was effective in