Five-year reult of a randomized, propective, clinical trial of diode v argon laer trabeculoplaty for open-angle glaucoma Original Reearch Article

PURPOE: To evaluate the afety and efficacy of laer trabeculoplaty (LTP) with a emiconductor diode laer (810 nm, [DLT]) v an argon blue-green laer (488 to 514 nm, [ALT]). METHOD: In a propective, randomized clinical trial, 50 eye of 46 patient with uncontrolled open-angle glaucoma on maximally tolerated medical therapy were treated and followed at regular interval for 5 year. Fifty laer pot were applied over 180 degree uing either maximal laer power or ufficient power to produce blanching or a mall bubble (570 to 850 mW, DLT; 400 to 1,100 mW, ALT). We performed DLT uing a 100-μm pot ize, a 0.5-econd expoure, and a Ritch len; we conducted ALT with a 50-μm pot, a 0.1-econd expoure, and a Goldmann len. Patient in the tudy were followed until trabeculectomy wa required. REULT: The mean follow-up time ± D for all eye were 38.6 ± 5.4 month, DLT (n = 22; range, 1 to 68 month) and 35.5 ± 4.8 month, ALT (n = 28; range, 1 to 66 month). Thoe in the diode laer group (n = 16) who had more than 1 year of follow-up were tracked for 49.4 month, and thoe in the argon laer group (n = 21) were tracked for 45.8 month. There were no ignificant difference in the mean pretreatment intraocular preure (IOP): 21.2 mm Hg, DLT (n = 22) and 21.5, ALT 21.5 mm Hg (n = 28); P = .81] or in mean final IOP (15.7 mm Hg, DLT and 17.1 mm Hg, ALT; P = .19). Time to urgical failure howed no ignificant difference, with 50% of the DLT eye and 58% of the ALT eye urviving at 5 year (P = .59). CONCLUION: In eye with open-angle glaucoma and unatifactory IOP control on maximally tolerated medical therapy, DLT and ALT are equally effective in lowering IOP over a 5-year period.