Technique for Tube Extender Implantation

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To describe a novel technique to facilitate Tube Extender implantation. Two Tube Extender implantations were performed on 2 eyes of 2 patients. Before implanting the Tube Extender onto the cut tube of the glaucoma drainage device, a 30-G cannula, coated with viscoelastic, is threaded through the distal end of the extender and emerges from the proximal end. The cannula, with the extender laced over it, is then inserted into the cut tube, and the surgeon slides the Tube Extender down the cannula for insertion onto the cut tube. Retraction of the glaucoma drainage device from the anterior chamber occurs for various reasons, often the growth of the globe in pediatric patients. Tube Extenders can be implanted to lengthen the glaucoma drainage device to reenter the anterior chamber. However, the surgical technique can often be technically difficult to perform due to the flexibility of the glaucoma drainage device tube. We present a novel technique for Tube Extender implantation that makes the procedure easier to perform.