Prevention, treatment of bleb-related infection crucial in trabeculectomy

TOKYO — Prophylaxis of infection through bleb hygiene after surgery and treatment of bleb leakage are crucial to the success of trabeculectomy, according to one surgeon. The Collaborative Bleb-related Infections Incidence and Treatment Study and the Japan Glaucoma Society Survey of Bleb-related Infection found vision-threatening complications such as bleb infection in 2% of trabeculectomy cases at 5 years and a 1% rate of endophthalmitis, Tetsuya Yamamoto, MD, said at the World Ophthalmology Congress. "In such cases, visual prognosis is very poor, particularly if the treatment of endophthalmitis is delayed. Around 30% to 40% of cases end up with less than 20/200 vision,” he said.