Surgical treatment in induced ocular hypertension in rabbit

Abstract

Background. Nowadays, glaucoma imposes a major issue for public health, representing the second worldwide leading cause of blindness (WHO Resnikoff 2002). It is a group of complex and heterogeneous ocular diseases, characterized by progressive optical atrophy (Almasieh 2012; Yanoff, 2014; Salmon, 2020). Glaucomatous damage is irreversible; therefore understanding its pathology and selection of optimal management minimizes the risk of progression and development of visual loss. That is why the researches continue. We report a case of filtration surgery treatment in experimentally induced ocular hypertension. Case report. Since for reliable tonometry in awake rabbits, it is advisable to keep the animals as quiet and unfrightened as possible, avoiding excessive manipulation and stimulation, we thought of using Tono-PenXL© Reichert at New Zealand rabbit and to take the measurement of normal IOP (intraocular pressure) after surface anesthesia. An ocular hypertension model in rabbit was induced by using a model proposed by Hester (1987), Melena (1997), just because using other proposed methods found in literature can block the filtering device. The hypertension was obtained by a local subconjunctival injection of 0,7ml betamethasone suspension in one eye. The procedure was repeated for 3 weeks. The injections were done in aseptic conditions under local anesthesia. It was observed the elevated IOP after the last injection with corticosteroid. After obtained ocular hypertension, it was performed the filtration surgery by implantation of a new design model of antiglaucoma shunt and it was monitoring the IOP postoperative and the ocular status. Conclusions. We aim to highlight the possibility of using a new device for glaucoma filtration surgery, its influence on IOP and ocular surface. Good results in the experimental implementation of this way of glaucoma surgery seem to be the most important step in treating this pathology except the classic trabeculectomy, which has also limitations.