OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the long-term adjunctive use of netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.02% in lowering IOP in patients with refractory glaucoma.
METHODS: This retrospective chart review study was conducted at a tertiary care center. Patients who were prescribed add-on netarsudil therapy and on ≥ 3 topical glaucoma medications from 01/01/2018 to 08/31/2020 were reviewed. 47 patients (69 eyes) met the inclusion criteria. Baseline IOPs prior to the addition of netarsudil were compared to IOPs measured at 3-, 6-, and 12-month intervals. Any patients with inadequate follow-up or who had glaucoma surgery after netarsudil initiation were excluded.
RESULTS: Median baseline IOP (± SD) was 21 ± 5.8 mmHg (median of 2 visits prior to initiation of netarsudil). At 3-month follow-up, 64 eyes had a median IOP of 16 ± 6.7 mmHg (p < 0.01). At 6-month follow-up, 56 eyes had a median IOP of 18 ± 4.6 mmHg (p < 0.01). At 12-month follow-up, 44 eyes had a median IOP of 15 ± 6.8 mmHg (p < 0.01). At the conclusion of the study, 64% of eyes reached 1 year follow-up due to several reasons.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with refractory glaucoma showed statistically and clinically significant IOP reductions on netarsudil. IOP reduction was stable long-term with the largest decrease in IOP seen at 12 months. Although some patients will still go on to require further laser or incisional surgery, for most patients netarsudil is an effective treatment for adjunctive use in refractory glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze corneal sensitivity with a new noncontact and handheld esthesiometer (Brill Engines, Spain) in patients with dry eye disease (DED) and patients on hypotensive drops, and to compare it with healthy subjects.
METHODS: A total of 31 patients (57 eyes) with DED, 23 patients (46 eyes) with glaucoma, and 21 healthy patients (33 eyes) were recruited. In all patients, corneal sensitivity was measured. Subsequently, a keratography test (Keratograph 5M, Oculus) was carried out to measure tear meniscus height (TMH), non-invasive breakup time (NIBUT), bulbar redness (Jenvis scale), and corneal staining (CS, Oxford scale). Both corneal sensitivity and ocular surface parameters were compared between DED, glaucoma, and healthy subjects. Linear mixed models were constructed to utilize data from both eyes of patients. An alpha level of 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: The mean age was 56.1 ± 16.1 years in the DED group, 69.5 ± 11.7 years in the glaucoma group, and 37.190 ± 11.677 years in the control group. After adjustment for age and sex, corneal sensitivity was significantly reduced in DED and glaucoma vs control group (P = 0.02 and P = 0.009, respectively). NIBUT was lower in DED and glaucoma groups (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). Redness and CS values were higher in the DED group (P = 0.04 and P = 0.001, respectively). TMH was lower in the glaucoma group (P = 0.03).
CONCLUSIONS: Corneal sensitivity measured with a novel noncontact esthesiometer was reduced in DED and glaucoma groups compared to controls. In clinical practice, this esthesiometer could be an easy-to-use device to screen for patients with subclinical neurotrophic keratopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the long-term outcomes of canaloplasty and phaco-canaloplasty in the treatment of open angle glaucoma and assess the prognostic factors associated with surgical outcome.
METHODS: A 48-month retrospective analysis was performed on n = 133 open angle glaucoma eyes treated with canaloplasty and n = 57 open angle glaucoma eyes treated with phaco-canaloplasty by a single surgeon. Surgical success was defined according to six criteria, achieving a target intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤ 21, 18 or 15 mmHg on glaucoma medications (qualified success) or without any further treatment (complete success), including laser therapy or surgery. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to evaluate surgical success and preoperative factors associated with surgical outcome. Surgical complications in the early postoperative period were compared between canaloplasty and phaco-canaloplasty.
RESULTS: Canaloplasty and phaco-canaloplasty significantly reduced postoperative IOP and number of glaucoma medications (p = 0.001 for both). Phaco-canaloplasty showed higher rates of cumulative surgical success over canaloplasty, but only for target IOP ≤ 21 and ≤ 18 (p = 0.018 and p = 0.011, respectively). A preoperative number of > 4 glaucoma medications predicted surgical failure. Phaco-canaloplasty was associated with a higher rate of IOP peaks in the first month compared with canaloplasty (40.4% vs 12.7%, p = 0.000).
CONCLUSIONS: Canaloplasty and phaco-canaloplasty demonstrated long-term efficacy in the treatment of open angle glaucoma, with phaco-canaloplasty showing higher rates of surgical success compared to canaloplasty, but not for target IOPs lower than 16 mmHg. Patients on more than 4 preoperative glaucoma medications may not be good candidates for canaloplasty and may benefit from other surgical options.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes of early aqueous suppression (EAS) and standard therapy (ST) after Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV) implantation for uveitic glaucoma.
METHODS: Retrospective comparative cohort study.
METHODS: All patients with uveitic glaucoma underwent AGV implantation from January 2010 to October 2020 at Northwestern Medicine.
METHODS: Excluding the first postoperative day 1 (POD1), only eyes with IOP 10-15 mmHg at their first visit with IOP ≥ 10 mmHg were included in the main analysis. Early aqueous suppression (EAS) was defined as initiation of ocular hypotensive therapy when IOP was first 10-15 mmHg. Standard therapy was initiation of therapy at any later time. Failure was defined as IOP > 21 mmHg, < 5 mmHg, or < 20% reduction in IOP from baseline after 3 months, for 2 consecutive study visits. Hypotony was defined as IOP ≤ 5 mmHg for ≥ 2 visits. Hypertensive phase was defined as IOP > 21 mmHg for 2 consecutive visits in the first 3 months.
METHODS: Proportion achieving overall success; incidence of hypotony and hypertensive phase.
RESULTS: Twenty-eight eyes of 26 patients were in the EAS group and 20 eyes of 19 patients were in the ST group, with a mean follow-up of 17.7 and 28.2 months, respectively. Baseline IOP was similar in the EAS (31.2 ± 10.1 mmHg) and ST (34.6 ± 12.2 mmHg) groups; P = 0.18. Final IOP was lower in the EAS group (12.9 ± 4.6 mmHg) than the ST group (16.4 ± 5.7 mmHg; P = 0.02) on 2.6 ± 0.9 medications in the EAS group and 1.8 ± 1.5 in the ST group (P = 0.07). Overall success was achieved in 87% of EAS eyes and 74% of ST eyes (P = 0.43). There were no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of additional glaucoma surgery (4% for EAS, 20% for ST; P = 0.11), hypotony (7% for EAS, 0% for ST; P = 0.50), or hypertensive phase (4% for EAS, 21% for ST; P = 0.09).
CONCLUSIONS: EAS was associated with a lower final IOP after AGV in uveitic glaucoma eyes; however, more medications were in use at the final visit. No statistically significant differences in overall success or the incidence of adverse events were observed.
BACKGROUND: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

UNASSIGNED: To determine the drop volume and total number of dispensed drops using the Nanodropper eyedrop bottle adaptor (Nanodropper, Inc.) compared to drops dispensed from stock bottles to potentially limit ocular toxicity of these eyedrops and prolong bottle use.
UNASSIGNED: Six topical ocular hypotensive medications (5 solutions, 1 suspension), one steroid (suspension) and two artificial tears emulsions were selected for this study. An analytical balance was used to determine the mass per 10 drops with and without the volume-reducing adaptor and repeated until the bottles were completely emptied. The density of each product was determined using the calculated density. The average drop volume and number of drops per bottle for the nine medications were compared with and without the adaptor with paired t-testing.
UNASSIGNED: When all medications were assessed, the drops delivered with the adaptor were 62.1% smaller than eyedrops administered from standard bottles. Compared to stock bottle eyedrops, which had a mean volume of 39.8 ± 2.1 μL, the adaptor resulted in drops with a mean volume of 15.1 ± 1.0 μL, p<0.0001. The adaptor delivered 2.6x the number of drops dispensed from a standard 2.5 mL bottle (184.1 ± 15.1 drops with adaptor and 69.8 ± 4.9 drops from stock bottle, p<0.0001).
UNASSIGNED: The Nanodropper eyedrop bottle adaptor can significantly reduce drop volume and increase the overall number of drops dispensed compared with stock eyedrop bottles. Further studies are needed to elucidate the clinical impact of utilizing decreased drop volume with direct comparison to current standards of care.

OBJECTIVE: This narrative review seeks to investigate intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma medication dependence and safety profile of canaloplasty performed via an ab-interno surgical technique using the iTrack canaloplasty microcatheter (Nova Eye Medical).
METHODS: A literature search was performed in March 2022 using MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify all papers which performed ab-interno canaloplasty using the iTrack, either combined with phacoemulsification or as a standalone procedure in primary open angle glaucoma. IOP was the primary efficacy outcome. Secondary outcomes were glaucoma medication use and safety profile.
RESULTS: The search demonstrated 170 results of which 9 studies were included which totaled 365 eyes. Both IOP and number of medications were reduced at 12-24 months. IOP decreased from 20.0 ± 2.5 mmHg preoperatively to 13.8 ± 0.6 and at 14.0 ± 0.9 at 12 and 24 months; the number of medications was reduced from 2.5 ± 0.5 preoperatively to 0.8 ± 0.4 and 0.9 ± 0.6 at 12 and 24 months postoperatively. Comparable results were observed in the iTrack-alone and iTrack + phaco groups: IOP was reduced from baseline 20.5 ± 1.9 and 19.6 ± 3.0 to 14.3 ± 1.1 and 13.9 ± 1.1 24 months postoperatively respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: This review suggests that ab-interno canaloplasty as a standalone procedure or combined with phacoemulsification using the iTrack leads to a reduction in IOP and glaucoma medication use up to 24 months postoperatively.

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy and the leading cause of irreversible vision loss. By 2040, the number of individuals with glaucoma is expected to nearly double. The only known modifiable risk factor for glaucoma is intraocular pressure. Topical medications are often used as first-line therapies. Although there are numerous available treatments, there continues to be a need for the development of new medical therapies due to variable response, intolerable side-effect profiles in some patients, and elevated intraocular pressure refractory to other treatments.
This review will cover glaucoma medications currently undergoing phase II and III of drug development.
There are numerous drugs currently in development that have demonstrated significant and clinically relevant reduction of intraocular pressure. Differentiating factors include improved tolerability, novel mechanisms of action, multiple mechanisms of action, or superior IOP reduction. However, the availability of generic prostaglandin analogs may limit adoption of these novel compounds as first-line agents, except for certain subgroups of glaucoma patients. Use as adjuvant or second-line therapy appears more likely for the majority of glaucoma patients.

UNASSIGNED: Assessment of ocular surface in patients using anti-glaucoma medications (AGM) is rarely a priority for clinicians since glaucoma management targets intraocular pressure and preserves vision. This review summarizes the various adverse effects of topical AGM on the ocular surface and highlights the importance of ocular surface assessment in these patients.
UNASSIGNED: A literature search of articles (English only) on the subject matter was conducted focusing on recent articles published in the past 5 years.
UNASSIGNED: The use of multiple anti-glaucoma medications in glaucoma patients increases patients\' exposure to the drug and the preservatives present in these medications. Long-term use of these medications has deleterious effects on the conjunctiva, cornea, eyelids, and periocular tissues like trichiasis, entropion, symblepharon, forniceal shortening, punctate keratopathy, non-healing epithelial defects, and pannus. Treatment requires drug withdrawal or substitution by oral or topical non-preserved and less toxic preparations of AGMs. The ocular surface and symptoms can improve if the condition is diagnosed early and after drug withdrawal in over 90% of eyes. However, stopping or changing AGMs can often present with its own unique set of challenges in intra-ocular pressure control which may often need glaucoma surgery in close to 20% of eyes for IOP control.
UNASSIGNED: Topical antiglaucoma medications (with their preservatives) can induce severe ocular surface and periorbital changes. Early identification and withdrawal of the offending drug/preservative can help to reverse the changes except in eyes with extensive cicatrization.

A number of pharmacological targets are exploited to modify the parameters in the Goldmann equation and reduce the intraocular pressure (IOP). This strategy constitutes the foundation for the medical management of glaucoma, the evolution of which, until only recently, has been in relative stagnation. A burst of innovation has produced new ocular hypotensive drugs and long-acting delivery methods, including intracameral delivery, which are expanding the clinician\'s medical armamentarium. A number of IOP-independent neuroprotection strategies have shown strong potential in animal models of glaucoma, but translational attempts have been surprisingly limited. However, while pharmacological options are expanding, the traditional role of topical medical therapy is being challenged by selective laser trabeculoplasty, micro-invasive glaucoma surgery, and sustained delivery methods. A scientifically rigorous assessment of new treatments will be critical to empower clinicians with evidence-based information to optimise vision preservation and quality of life outcomes for their patients.

BACKGROUND: Trabeculectomy is commonly performed for glaucoma when medications are unable to control disease progression or have intolerable adverse effects. Previous studies have suggested that a higher number of and/or longer treatment duration with preoperative topical glaucoma medications are associated with a higher risk of trabeculectomy failure, but most of these studies lack quantification of exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between preoperative exposure to topical glaucoma medications and trabeculectomy outcome, using a new method for quantifying accumulated exposure.
METHODS: Consecutive patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) or normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) who underwent primary trabeculectomy between 2013 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The Glaucoma Medications Intensity Index (GMII) was calculated for each eye by multiplying the number of drops per week by duration of use (in years). The relationship between the GMII and postoperative outcome in terms of 1- and 2-year success rates and survival time was analyzed.
RESULTS: A total of 55 eyes from 40 subjects were analyzed, all with follow-up > 6 months (mean 2.72 ± 1.46 years). The GMII for eyes with successful (n = 41) and failed (n = 14) outcome at last visit was 111.71 ± 78.59 and 167.41 ± 85.04, respectively, and significantly higher in failed eyes (P = 0.03). Univariate regression analysis of age, gender, cup-disc ratio, previous phacoemulsification, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, preoperative number of glaucoma medications/treatment duration/intraocular pressure (IOP), and GMII showed age and GMII to be possible predictors of treatment failure. On subsequent multivariate analysis, only GMII was correlated with failure (odds ratio 1.021, 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.05; P = 0.05). When GMII ≥ 80, the postoperative survival time was shorter (P = 0.02), the 1-year IOP, number of glaucoma medications, and number of needlings performed were higher (P = 0.03, P  < 0.01, P  < 0.03, respectively), and reduction in glaucoma medication was less (P = 0.02).
CONCLUSIONS: The GMII can be used to predict eyes at higher risk for trabeculectomy that may benefit from additional perioperative intervention or treatment. It can also help the surgeon time the surgery before the GMII becomes too high, thereby optimizing the patient\'s postoperative outcome.