Argon Laser Therapy for Open-Angle Glaucoma

• Argon laser treatment was applied 360° to the trabecular meshwork of 56 patients with open-angle glaucoma, using 100 burns at a setting of 1,000 to 1,500 mW, 0.10 seconds, and 50 μ beam-diameter. Forty of 41 phakic eyes were controlled three months postlaser, but 27 eyes (65%) required some medical therapy. Late failure was not a problem, with the same mean pressure drop of 10 mm Hg noted at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months postlaser. No angle scarring or serious complications occurred. One phakic eye required additional surgery. Fifteen aphakic eyes showed less response, with eight of nine eyes on medical therapy one year after laser treatment, and the other six requiring further surgery. Increased tension in the trabecular meshwork is the postulated mechanism. The argon laser appears to be an effective alternative to filtration surgery in phakic eyes.