Outcomes of inferonasal Baerveldt glaucoma drainage implant surgery

Purpose: To determine the outcomes of inferonasal Baerveldt glaucoma implant (BGI) surgery. Patients and Methods: A retrospective, non-comparative case series of 182 eyes of 182 patients who underwent inferonasal placement of a Baerveldt glaucoma implant. The main outcome measures included intraocular pressure, number of glaucoma medications, best corrected visual acuity, and complications. Results: Patients were followed for an average (± SD) of 19 ± 15 months. Median Snellen visual acuity was unchanged at last follow-up. Intraocular pressure was reduced from a mean (± SD) of 28.6 ± 11.5 mm Hg preoperatively to 13.4 ± 5.7 mm Hg at most recent follow-up (P < 0.001). The number of antiglaucoma medications was reduced from a mean (± SD) of 2.7 ± 1.3 preoperatively to 1.1 ± 1.1 at most recent follow-up. Nineteen eyes met our criteria for failure, yielding a cumulative percent survival of 92% at 12 months, 88% at 24 months, and 77% at 44 months. The most common complications were hyphema (14 eyes, 8%), choroidal effusion (12 eyes, 7%), and corneal decompensation (19 eyes, 10%). Endophthalmitis and diplopia occurred rarely (1 eye, <1%; 3 eyes, 2%, respectively). Conclusions: Inferonasal Baerveldt glaucoma implant placement appears to be a safe and effective surgical option that may be helpful in certain clinical situations.