Short Term Outcome of Goniotomy with Kahook Dual Blade in the Management of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma-A Retrospective Interventional Case Series

Objectives: To describe short-term efficacy of goniotomy with trabecular meshwork excision using the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB, New World Medical Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, CA) in patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma, (POAG) either as a standalone or plus Phacoemulsification (phaco). Method and Patients: A retrospective review of 12 eyes of 9 patients who had goniotomy with Kahook dual blade either as a standalone or combined with cataract surgery by phacoemulsification from April 2017 to July 2018 at Eye Foundation Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos. The patients were follow-up for a minimum of 6 months. Results: The mean age of the patients was 66.4±8.8 years. Mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) for all eyes was 18.58±5.42mmHg. From day 1 through the 6th Month of postoperative follow-up, the mean IOP ranged from 18.58±9.26mmHg to 12.27±1.68mmHg representing reductions of 0-6.31mmHg (0-34%; p<0.05 at each time point versus baseline except for day 1). For the Phaco+KDB group, the baseline mean IOP was 19.25±4.56mmHg while the mean IOP postoperatively from day 1 to 6 months ranged from 19.13±8.99mmHg to 12.13±1.89mmHg representing reductions of 0.12mmHg to 5.13mmHg (0.6-30.2%; p<0.05 only from 1 month to 6 months). At baseline, the mean IOP for the eyes that had KDB goniotomy as a standalone was 17.25±7.45mmHg and postoperatively ranged from 17.50±11.09mmHg to 12.67±1.67mmHg representing reductions of -0.25-9.08mmHg (-1.45%-41.7%; p<0.05 at one week, 3 and 6 months only versus baseline). Conclusion: KDB either as a standalone or with phaco recorded at least 30% reduction in IOP after 6 months of followup in these series.