This study aims to compare the surgical efficacy and safety of the Tanito microhook trabeculotomy (TMH-CE) and iStent inject W (Inject-CE) when performed in combination with cataract surgery on the eyes of glaucoma patients. A total of 78 glaucomatous eyes from 39 participants were retrospectively analyzed. Intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of antiglaucoma medications, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), anterior chamber flare (ACF), and corneal endothelial cell density (CECD) were all evaluated preoperatively and at multiple postoperative time points. The preoperative IOP was significantly higher in the TMH-CE (19.6 ± 6.7 mmHg) than in the Inject-CE (15.7 ± 3.8 mmHg) (p < 0.0001). At the 12-month follow-up, reductions in IOP and the number of medications were more pronounced in the TMH-CE (6.6 mmHg, 27.6% and -1.1, respectively) group than Inject-CE (2.7 mmHg, 12.4% and -0.7, respectively) (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0034), while the IOP and medication-number levels were identical between TMH-CE (13.0 ± 3.3 mmHg and 1.3 ± 0.9, respectively) and Inject-CE (12.9 ± 2.6 mmHg and 1.9 ± 0.9, respectively) (p = 0.88 and p > 0.99, respectively). The TMH-CE group exhibited a higher ACF, a higher frequency of layered hyphema, and a greater anterior chamber floating red blood cells score in the early postoperative periods. Despite these differences, the changes in BCVA, ACF, and CECD were equivalent between the two groups in later follow-up periods. TMH-CE provides a more significant IOP reduction and medication-number reduction compared to Inject-CE, while Inject-CE shows quicker BCVA recovery. This study provides valuable insights for ophthalmologists choosing the most suitable surgical approach for glaucoma and cataract patients.
Keywords: Tanito microhook (TMH); cataract surgery; fellow-eye comparison; iStent inject W; intraocular pressure; microhook ab-interno trabeculotomy; minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.