Trabeculectomy With Mitomycin C Associated With Sub-conjunctival Injection of Ranibizumab

Overview

Trabeculectomy with mitomycin C remains the standard surgery for glaucoma. This surgery involves creating a door in the eye wall in order to improve fluid outflow and decrease intraocular pressure. However, success rates range from 70% to 90% depending on the criteria used and tend to decrease with time. The failure of the surgery is associated with inflammation, new blood vessel formation and scarring which can cause closure of the door. Molecules which inhibit new blood vessel formation such as inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor have been used successfully to decrease scarring in animal eyes where little doors were created and significantly improve survival. Furthermore, they have shown promise when used during trabeculectomy. Ranibizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor, has also been used safely in intraocular surgery to treat other diseases which involve new blood vessel formation such as macular degeneration and diabetes. The investigators hypothesize that ranibizumab may decrease the failure rate of trabeculectomy with mitomycin C by decreasing scarring. The aim of the study is to evaluate the difference in failure rates and bleb morphology at one year post-operatively in eyes having undergone sub-conjunctival injections of ranibizumab in addition to primary trabeculectomy with mitomycin C compared to eyes having undergone trabeculectomy with mitomycin C alone.

Prospective, randomized, unblinded clinical trial. Two groups of patients with glaucoma undergoing primary trabeculectomy or phaco-trabeculectomy with MMC between March 2009 and September 2012. The ranibizumab group (RAN) received 2 subconjunctival injections of 0.5 mg of ranibizumab (intraoperatively and on day 14) and he control group did not receive ranibizumab.