Pneumatic trabeculoplasty: A new method to treat primary open-angle glaucoma and reduce the number of concomitant medications

Pneumatic trabeculoplasty (PNT), when used in combination with antiglaucoma medication, was evaluated in two studies: a feasibility study involving 177 patients, and a separate efficacy study involving 317 eyes. Both studies were nonblinded, single-armed, and nonrandomized; the primary efficacy end point in each study was a decrease in intraocular pressure (IOP) compared with baseline. The first study reported a mean drop in IOP of 6.3 mmHg across the entire group. The second study showed a mean IOP after PNT treatment level at least 1 mmHg less than the pretreatment mean; except at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, when it was at least 2 mmHg less than the initial mean IOP. The lesser reduction observed in the second study can be explained by the fact that a number of the patients were at least partially controlled by antiglaucoma medications at enrollment, and, as a result, the group had a lower starting IOP than those enrolled in the first study. In both studies, a clear trend to less medication was observed when PNT was added to a patient's treatment regime. The ability of PNT to reduce IOP and medication requirements, along with its relatively benign safety profile, supports the use of PNT as part of a glaucoma patient's treatment regimen