Background and objectives: The authors retrospectively examined the potential for early postoperative intraocular pressure to predict the long-term results of initial trabeculectomies.
Patients and methods: The records of 173 patients (207 consecutive eyes) who underwent initial trabeculectomies, which were performed by one of the authors between 1983 and 1991, with a minimum follow-up of 150 days were reviewed. Cases of trabeculectomy combined with cataract extraction were excluded.
Results: The intraocular pressure during postoperative week 1 was the same for patients with successful initial trabeculectomies (success group) as it was for patients with unsuccessful trabeculectomies (failure group). However, the intraocular pressure during the second, third, and fourth weeks was significantly higher in the failure group (P < .001). Laser suture lysis and 5-fluorouracil had no influence on the fact that high intraocular pressure during the first postoperative week had no prognostic significance.
Conclusion: Positive results on postoperative Seidel tests did not predict a poor prognosis. However, high intraocular pressure after the first week may require intervention because it predicts a poor prognosis.