Surgery of refractory glaucoma using Ahmed valve implantation, mainly in own modification of their implantation A six years of own experiences including description of some cases

Objectives
A retrospective analysis of the 6 years of own experiences and benefits of Ahmed valve implantation, mainly in own author’s modification.

Material and methods
38 patients, 3 bilaterally were operated on using Ahmed valve device. A surgery was performed separately or in combination with another 1-3 surgical procedures.

Results
A normalization of intraocular pressure was achieved in most of patients who were operated on using Ahmed valve device, although a part of them required of using topical medicines or additional surgical procedures to normalize eye pressure. Two of patients (3 eyes) were operated on using innovative combined procedures to gain effect of saving or improve of the vision.

Conclusions
A decrease of the intraocular pressure using Ahmed valve device is a safe procedure, which gives longstanding effects. Making a posterior vitrectomy procedure is required prior to apply author’s modification of valve implantation. This modification helps to avoid most of postoperative complications observed after routine implantation of the valve into anterior chamber od vitreous cavity. It is worth to add, that Ahmed valve implantation is one of the few irreversible procedures in glaucoma surgery. It should be introduced prior to permanent optic nerve damage.