Micropulse Cyclophotocoagulation versus Ultrasound Cycloplasty in a Tertiary Eye Care Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy, safety and outcomes of micropulse cyclophotocoagulation (MP-CPC) to ultrasound cycloplasty (UCP) in patients referred to a tertiary eye care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: A retrospective study evaluated data from patients who had undergone MP-CPC or UCP from January 2017 to October 2023. Patients who lost to follow up and patients with incomplete medical reports were excluded from the study. Data was collected for day 1, 2nd week, 1 month and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. At each visit, data was collected on intraocular pressure (IOP), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), medications and possible complications. Data was compared between groups. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Out of 139 eyes, 65 underwent UCP, and 74 underwent MP-CPC. IOP in the UCP group decreased from 29.67±9.82 mmHg preoperatively to 21.00±6.78 mmHg at one year postoperatively and in the MP-CPC group, IOP decreased from 28.44±9.46 mmHg to 20.41±8.77 mmHg respectively. In the UCP group, at the 1-year follow-up, vision remained unchanged from the preoperative levels in 6 eyes (27.3%), while 2 eyes (9.1%) lost 1 line of vision, and 8 eyes (36.4%) experienced a loss of ≥2 lines. In the MP-CPC group, at the 1-year follow-up, vision remained unchanged in 24 eyes (43.6%), 2 eyes (3.6%) lost 1 line, and 20 eyes (36.4%) had a loss of ≥2 lines. The number of antiglaucoma medications at 1 year postoperatively did not differ between groups. The qualified success rate at 1 year was similar between groups.

Conclusion: Both UCP and MP-CPC are safe and effective for reducing IOP in refractory glaucoma, with similar reductions observed between the two techniques. Visual outcomes and qualified success rates were comparable between UCP and MP-CPC.