Efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab as adjunctive treatment with pars plana vitrectomy, endolaser photocoagulation, and trabeculectomy for neovascular glaucoma
- Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Dr A Miki, Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 Yamadaoka, E-7, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; amiki{at}ophthal.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
- Accepted 5 May 2008
Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is a severe form of glaucoma usually associated with ischaemic retinal diseases.1 When NVG progresses with extensive retinal ischaemia, not only trabeculectomy or aqueous drainage implants alone but aggressive surgery with multiple procedures (par plana vitrectomy (PPV), endolaser photocoagulation, and simultaneous trabeculectomy) should be considered.2–4 However, surgical outcomes in patients with NVG are disappointing.2–4 Intraoperative bleeding and postoperative inflammation are major obstacles to obtaining longitudinal surgical success.
Bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech, San Francisco) is a humanised monoclonal antibody against all vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoforms.5 Bevacizumab, a potent drug that causes rapid regression of iris and retinal neovascularisation, is a powerful adjunct for preventing intraoperative haemorrhage in proliferative diabetic retinopathy.5 6 We report that bevacizumab also can prevent unexpected …
