ONE OPERATION INSTEAD OF THREE FOR CHILDREN BORN WITH GLAUCOMA

Feb. 21, 1996
Media Contact: Sarah Goodwin at 404/727-5686, e-mail: sgoodwi@emory.edu





One stop glaucoma therapy ... Emory eye surgeon Mary Lynch, M.D., has developed a new surgical approach to primary congenital glaucoma which requires only one operation instead of three, significantly reduces scarring and eliminates the nearsightedness present in many children after they undergo traditional treatment.

The surgery, a refinement of 360o trabeculotomy, relieves the sight-stealing ocular pressure of glaucoma by opening the eyeÍs tiny drainage system with a suture fragment made of polypropylene (Prolene).

"This technique has a success rate equal to that of standard trabeculotomy techniques and avoids many of the difficulties encountered with metal probes," reported Emory assistant professor of ophthalmology Allen D. Beck, M.D., in a study of the new technique described in the September 1995 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

The Emory team reported the results of the technique performed on 15 children. The average age of the young subjects was 8 1/2 months.

"At last follow-up examination 87 percent of children had successful surgery," Dr. Beck reported. "And they required only one operative procedure instead of three."




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