Background/aims To determine the medium-term intraocular pressure (IOP) control and visual outcomes for patients with advanced glaucoma undergoing trabeculectomy with mitomycin C.

Methods All patients with advanced glaucoma (MD −20 dB or above) undergoing trabeculectomy with mitomycin C between 2000 and 2008 under the care of a single glaucoma surgeon were included. IOP, visual acuity and visual field outcomes were assessed from data prospectively collected into a surgical outcome database.

Results 103 patients were eligible for inclusion. The post-trabeculectomy group mean IOP varied between 11.3 and 13.3 mm Hg between 1 and 7 years. At year 5, 85.2% had an IOP of <16 mm Hg, and 96.3% had an IOP of <21 mm Hg. The number completing a reliable visual-field exam decreased significantly year on year, but the change in mean MD for the group as a whole and for individual patients remained stable. 28 patients experienced a significant reduction in acuity defined as two or more lines of Snellen, although this was not due to glaucoma surgery in the majority. The only preoperative determinant for a significant reduction in VA was the preoperative MD (−27.00 dB (n=21) compared with −24.79 dB (n=63; p=0.029)).

Conclusion Trabeculectomy is a successsful method of controlling IOP in the short to medium term in patients with advanced glaucoma.