Amniotic membrane tranplantation for repair of leaking glaucoma filtering bleb

PURPOE: To compare the afety and efficacy of human preerved amniotic membrane tranplant with conjunctival advancement for repair of late-onet glaucoma filtering bleb leak. METHOD: A propective, randomized clinical trial compared amniotic membrane tranplant with conjunctival advancement in patient with leaking glaucoma filtering bleb. Intraocular preure, number of glaucoma medication, and reoperation for glaucoma or peritent or recurrent bleb–leak were compared in the two group. Patient were followed for a minimum of 1 year. REULT: Mean intraocular preure wa the ame at 6 (amniotic membrane tranplant, 15.4 ± 4.4, conjunctival advancement 14.1 ± 6.4, P = 0.6), 12 (amniotic membrane tranplant, 15.0 ± 6.3, conjunctival advancement, 13.2 ± 6.6, P = 0.5), and 24 (amniotic membrane tranplant, 17.2 ± 7.1, conjunctival advancement, 15.0 ± 6.3, P = 0.6) month. The mean number of glaucoma medication in ue wa the ame in the two group at all time interval. After an average follow-up of 19 month, there were even failure in the amniotic membrane tranplant group (two with peritent leak that were unreponive to further uturing, two with late-onet leak, and three who required repeat glaucoma urgery) and none in the conjunctival advancement group. The cumulative urvival rate for amniotic membrane tranplant wa 81% at 6 month, 74% at 1 year, and 46% at 2 year. The cumulative urvival rate wa 100% for conjunctival advancement throughout follow-up. CONCLUION: Amniotic membrane tranplantation doe not offer an effective alternative to conjunctival advancement for repair of leaking glaucoma filtering bleb.