Cryosurgery in neovascular glaucoma

Abstract

Cryocoagulation was used to treat 21 eyes with neovascular glaucoma. In 6 eyes, cyclocryocoagulation was used as an independent method and in 15 eyes cyclocryocoagulation and following transscleral panretinal cryocoagulation in one session. The author has followed up the postoperative development of the intraocular pressure, pain in the eye, rubeosis iridis, and the central visual acuity. Markedly better results were achieved by the author by using the combined cryosurgical method. The author assumes the cause of the unsatisfactory final central visual acuity to be the rather late treatment of the neovascular glaucoma-most of the patients were operated on 2 to 3 weeks after the acute increase of the intraocular pressure. A good final central visual acuity was achieved in patients who were operated on immediately after the acute increase of the intraocular pressure. After the use of the combined cryosurgical intervention, we noted in all the patients: within 3 days normalization of the intraocular pressure in all the patients, on the first postoperative day a marked relief from pain in all the patients and, also in all the patients, a marked regression of rubeosis iridis within 6 weeks after operation.