Patients who had been treated with argon laser trabeculoplasty
| No membrane | With membrane | Thin membrane | Thick membrane | |
| Number | 23 | 23 | 9 | 14 |
| Age | 68.1 (14) | 74.5 (9.7) | 76 (4.4) | 73.5 (12) |
| No of ALTs | 1.48 (0.59) | 1.83 (0.72) | 1.44 (0.53) | 2.07 (0.73) |
| IOP before TE | 26.2 (8.4) | 28.7 (9.6) | 23.7 (7.3) | 32 (9.7) |
| Total energy (J) | 9.6 (4.72) | 9.9 (5.67) | 7.3 (5.1) | 11.7 (5.5) |
| Total number of laser shots | 93.4 (48.3) | 99.6 (50.2) | 71.6 (27.1) | 119 (54.1) |
| Carboanhydrase inhibitors | 6/23 (26.1 %) | 13/23 (56.5 %) | 3/9 (33 %) | 10/14 (71.4 %) |
| Mean (SD) | ||||
| Total energy=W × time × number of laser shots = J | ||||
| Comparison of patients with and without membrane | ||||
| Age | p=0.114 | ns | ||
| No of ALTs | p=0.124 | ns | ||
| Preoperative use of carboanhydrase inhibitors | p=0.077 | ns | ||
| Comparison of patients with thick membrane and without membrane | ||||
| No of ALTs | p=0.026 | s | ||
| IOP before trabeculectomy | p=0.04 | s | ||
| Preoperative use of carboanhydrase inhibitors | p=0.022 | s | ||
| Comparison of patients with thick and with thin membrane | ||||
| No of ALTs | p=0.06 | ns | ||
| IOP before trabeculectomy | p=0.055 | ns | ||
| Total energy (J) | p=0.04 | s | ||
| No of laser shots | p=0.35 | s | ||
ns = not significant; s = significant.
Eyes with thick membranes had significant more ALTs (p=0.026), a higher IOP (p=0.04), and more carboanhydrase inhibitors (p=0.022) preoperatively than eyes without membrane formation over the trabecular meshwork.
Eyes with thick membranes received more energy (p=0.04) and more laser shots (p=0.035) on the trabecular meshwork compared with patients with thin membrane formation.