Ultrasound cyclo plasty for the management of refractory glaucoma in chinese patients: a before–after study

Cyclocryotherapy and transscleral cyclophotocoagulation are commonly used procedures for the treatment of refractory glaucoma, but still with many complications. Ultrasound cyclo plasty (UCP) is a novel technique that determines a selective and more precise coagulation necrosis of the ciliary body to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP), but its efficacy and safety have been less investigated in Chinese population. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of UCP in Chinese patients with refractory glaucoma. We designed a prospective, before–after study involving 36 eyes of 36 patients with refractory glaucoma that underwent uneventful UCP. Mean IOP, mean IOP reduction and subjective pain scale scores before and after UCP were compared to evaluate the efficacy of UCP in these patients. Procedural success defined as no abnormality of the treatment sites, and complications were recorded, along with confirmation of the safety of UCP. The 36 UCP patients had a mean IOP of 53.61 ± 12.4 mmHg and a mean VAS score of 5.69 ± 3.02 preoperatively. Successful operation was achieved in 28 patients, with a success rate of 77.8%. In the follow-up observation at day 1, day 7, and month 1, 2, 3 and 6 postoperatively, both mean IOP and mean VAS score were significantly lower than those before operation (both P