Amniotic Membrane Transplantation in Trabeculectomy

To evaluate the effect of amniotic membrane transplantation in trabeculectomy. The study was conducted on 25 eyes of 25 patients with advanced and medically uncontrolled glaucoma. All patients underwent trabeculectomy with a fornix based conjunctival flap, amniotic membrane was then placed under the scleral flap and fixed using 10-0 nylon suture. Amniotic membrane was retrieved from healthy pregnant women during elective cesarian section. Preoperative intraocular pressure was 33.5±5.0 mmHg (26-50 mmHg) with full medication, which decreased to 12.4±1.8 mmHg (9-15 mmHg) post-operatively (P= 0.0001). Intraocular pressure was less than 21 mmHg after surgery in all eyes, with (8%) or without (92%) use of antiglaucoma medications after six months. The use of amniotic membrane in trabeculectomy can increase the chance of success in terms of maintenance of a functional bleb and prevention of failure. This method may be superior to antimetabolites due to lack of complications.