Study of the effectiveness of osteopathic correction in the complex treatment of patients with operated primary open-angle glaucoma

Abstract

Introduction. Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease characterized by a constant or periodic increase in intraocular pressure, a decrease of visual fields and visual acuity, and by a special form of optic nerve atrophy with excavation in the disc area. The reflection of this slowly fl owing atrophy is a disturbance in the visual field and a complete irreversible loss of visual function. The prevalence of the disease increases with increasing age. The main methods of treatment are medical and surgical. Non-penetrating operations are recognized as the safest methods of surgical treatment of glaucoma. The most common complications of such operations include: detachment of the choroid, small anterior chamber syndrome, hyphema, cicatricial changes in the filtration cushion. Based on the analysis of literature data, it can be assumed that the inclusion of osteopathic correction in the complex therapy of patients with operated glaucoma can increase the effectiveness of therapy.The aim of the research was to study the clinical efficacy of osteopathic correction in the complex treatment of patients operated on primary open-angle glaucoma.Materials and methods. The study involved 20 patients (20 eyes) aged 70 to 75 years with developed and advanced stages of primary open-angle glaucoma, who underwent surgical treatment. The main (10 people) and control (10 people) groups were formed by simple randomization. Participants in the main group received standard medical therapy and osteopathic correction, while participants in the control group received only medical therapy. Changes in the following clinical parameters were evaluated: visual acuity, visual fi eld, intraocular pressure, thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer, and severity of pain syndrome. Indicators were recorded at the beginning of the study (2 weeks after surgery) and at the end of the study (2–3 months after surgery).Results. Patients receiving osteopathic correction as part of the complex therapy after surgery of primary openangle glaucoma are characterized by a statistically significant (p<0,05) decrease in the severity of pain syndrome, an increase in the magnitude of the visual field and of the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer.Conclusion. The obtained results suggest the effectiveness of the inclusion of osteopathic correction in the complex treatment of patients with operated on primary open-angle glaucoma. It is recommended to continue the study with a larger sample size.