Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab combined with antimetabolite as an adjunctive therapy in primary trabeculectomy for glaucoma.
Materials and methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials. Efficacy was evaluated by the postoperative mean intraocular pressure (IOP), complete success, and qualified success rates. Safety was evaluated by postoperative complications and surgical interventions.
Results: A total of 3 randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. The primary outcome was postoperative mean IOP at the 12-month follow-up. No significant difference in IOP was found between the bevacizumab + antimetabolite (mitomycin c or 5-fluorouracil) group and the antimetabolite alone group (weighted mean difference -0.27; 95% CI -1.38 to 0.83). There were no significant differences in complete success rates, qualified success rates, postoperative complications, and surgical interventions between the experimental treatment group and the conventional treatment group.
Conclusions: Results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that the combination of bevacizumab (1.25 mg/mL) with a regular concentration of antimetabolite did not show more benefit or harm compared with using antimetabolite alone. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab combined with lower concentrations and a shorter application time of antimetabolite.
Keywords: 5-Fluorouracil; Bevacizumab; Glaucoma; Meta-analysis; Mitomycin c; Trabeculectomy.
© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.