Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of the XEN45 Gel Stent surgery between patients with and without severe pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.
Methods: In this retrospective, single-center, comparative chart review, records of 24 eyes of 23 patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma and 24 eyes of 23 patients with non-pseudoexfoliation glaucoma with severe glaucoma, defined as uncontrolled intraocular pressure on maximally tolerated medical therapy, were reviewed. All patients were treated with XEN45 Gel Stent surgery, in either a standalone procedure (84.8%) or combined with phacoemulsification (15.2%). Mean intraocular pressure, mean number of intraocular pressure-lowering medications, change in best-corrected visual acuity and needling or rescue surgery rates were assessed. Success was defined as at least 20% decrease in baseline intraocular pressure among treatment-free patients.
Results: Patient characteristics were similar between the groups. At 6 months, intraocular pressure in the pseudoexfoliation glaucoma group decreased by 32% (24.3 ± 9 mmHg-14.8 ± 7 mmHg, p < 0.001), with comparable decrease in intraocular pressure in the non-pseudoexfoliation glaucoma group (22.6 ± 7 mmHg-16.7 ± 6 mmHg, p = 0.011). Similar rates of patients required topical anti-glaucoma therapy (29% vs 22%, p = 0.559), needling (54% vs 37%, p = 0.247), and rescue trabeculectomy (13% in both, p = 1.00) at the last follow-up. However, intraocular pressure decreased more in the pseudoexfoliation glaucoma group among treatment-free patients (-10.1 ± 8.0 mmHg vs -4.1 ± 8.1 mmHg, p = 0.043), and final intraocular pressure was lower in the pseudoexfoliation glaucoma group (12.2 ± 3.5 mmHg vs 15.8 ± 5.7 mmHg, p = 0.044).
Conclusions: The XEN45 Gel Stent implant demonstrated similar efficacy and safety among severe pseudoexfoliation glaucoma and non-pseudoexfoliation glaucoma patients. Greater magnitude of decreased intraocular pressure occurred among treatment-free pseudoexfoliation glaucoma patients.
Keywords: Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma; XEN 45 gel stent; intra-ocular pressure; trabeculectomy.