To evaluate long-term change in intraocular pressure (IOP) in the fellow eyes after laser iridotomy and early phacoemusification with laser iridotomy in patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma.

We performed a retrospective, comparative chart review of 62 patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma; 35 patients (Group A) who underwent only prophylactic laser iridotomy on fellow eyes and 27 patients (Group B) who underwent prophylactic laser iridotomy and early phacoemusification on fellow eyes. Patients were followed up at 1 day, 1 week and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. IOP change was analyzed after laser iridotomy 1 hour and at every follow-up. In addition, visual acuity and complications of laser iridotomy and phacoemusification were determined.

In Group A, the mean IOP increase in fellow eyes occurred within 1 month after laser iridotomy (initial, 15.9 ± 5.0 mm Hg; final, 15.9 ± 2.6 mm Hg), However, in Group B, the mean IOP of fellow eyes was maintained up to 12 months without an increase in IOP (initial, 17.0 ± 3.3 mm Hg; final, 13.3 ± 2.8 mm Hg) Among the fellow eyes, 13 patients in Group A (37.14%) and 4 patients in Group B (14.81%, p = 0.032) underwent further medical therapy. The initial visual acuity of fellow eyes in Group A was 0.78 ± 0.21 and 0.71 ± 0.22 in Group B, and at the final visit, 0.73 ± 0.31 in Group A and 0.93 ± 0.27 in Group B ( p = 0.003).

We found that most fellow eyes treated with laser iridotomy and phacoemulsification maintained satisfactory IOP and good vision. These results support that laser iridotomy and phacoemulsification in the fellow eye with acute angle-closure glaucoma is a reasonable prophylactic treatment.