Effectiveness of selective laser trabeculoplasty and its safety on corneal endothelium in patients with primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension

Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT), and to assess its effects and safety on corneal endothelial cell morphology. Patients and Methods: Forty patients with POAG (15 cases, 23 eyes) and OHT (25 cases, 48 eyes) were prospectively evaluated. All cases underwent pachymetry, goniolens examination, Humphrey Visual Field Test, Optical Coherence Tomography, and Corneal Confocal Microscopy measurements. Patients whose intraocular pressure (IOP) was more than 21 mmHg in POAG and OHT, underwent SLT. SLT treatment was applied to the inferior 180° region of the trabecular meshwork. Central corneal thickness (CCT), IOP, and specular microscopy examinations were taken at the visits before and after the first day, first week, first month, third and sixth months of the SLT procedure. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements and visual field tests were performed before and six month post-SLT. Results of the pre-SLT and post-SLT measurements were compared and a P value of lower than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results of IOP measurements at first week, first month, third, and sixth month post-SLT were significantly lower than the results before and post-SLT first day. No significant difference was found between the results of initial and final measurements of CCT and specular microscopic corneal endothelial cell morphology evaluation. There was no statistically significant difference between the results of initial and final measurements for RNFL thickness and the results of the visual field tests. Conclusion: SLT is an effective treatment modality for reducing IOP in patients with POAG and OHT and is also a safe procedure in terms of the entirety of corneal endothelial cell morphology.