Advancement of improved surface struction of anti-filtration area scarring glaucoma drainage devices

Glaucoma is the world’s leading progressive and irreversible cause of blindness.Lowering intraocular pressure is the main method for treating glaucoma.Refractory glaucoma is a special type of glaucoma where intraocular pressure can’t be effectively controlled by medication, laser or conventional surgery.Ahmed glaucoma drainage valve (AGV) implantation is one of the main treatment methods for refractory glaucoma.Its unique valve structure effectively inhibited early postoperative low intraocular pressure and related complications.However, the long-term success rate is not ideal.The most common cause of surgical failure is excessive fibrous tissue formation around glaucoma drainage devices, resulting in the increase of outflow resistance in the filtering area, and elevating intraocular pressure.Therefore, inhibiting the formation of fibrous tissues around glaucoma drainage devices is the key to improving the success rate.At present, the most common clinical anti-scarring method is the application of anti-metabolic drugs during and after operation, but the long-term effect is not ideal.In recent years, with the continuous improvement of the structural design, manufacturing materials and manufacturing technology of aqueous humor drainage device, the success rate of AGV implantation in the treatment of refractory glaucoma is also gradually improving.In this review, we discuss the inhibition of scarring after glaucoma drainage valve implantation by adding coating, constructing porous structure and depicting surface micropatterns.These improvements in surface structure may provide a new approach for the treatment of filtration area scarring after AGV implantation.

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