Is laser trabeculoplasty the new star in glaucoma treatment?

Abstract

Purpose of review 

For decades, laser trabeculoplasty has been a well-proven therapeutic option in glaucoma management, and more recently, it has only gained in popularity. One reason for such popularity is that selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a therapy independent of patient adherence, which is typically low among glaucoma patients. Consequently, the number of studies on SLT has multiplied throughout the past years. This review provides an overview of studies on SLT from the last 12 months.

Recent findings 

The studies on treatment outcome show a wide range of success rates of SLT reaching between 18 and 88%; however, study designs differ and many studies are not directly comparable. The prospective laser trabeculoplasty for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension (LiGHT) trial has demonstrated good efficacy of SLT – 75% of the eyes achieved their target pressure without drops and 58% after a single SLT.

Summary 

SLT has proven to be effective in lowering IOP with satisfactory success rates even after single SLT. SLT is repeatable independent of patient's adherence.