To assess the efficacy and safety of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) as initial and adjunctive treatment for ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma.

Twenty-four eyes with ocular hypertension and 63 eyes with open angle glaucoma were treated with a frequency-doubled, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured prelaser treatment, one week, one, two, three, six, 12, 18, and 24 months after treatment.

The average pre-laser IOP of 87 eyes was 21.6 mmHg. The mean IOP percent reductions at 1 week, one, two, three, six, 12, 18, and 24 months were 15.3%, 20.0%, 21.3%, 19.6%, 23.4%, 23.4%, 20.5%, and 20.9%, respectively. The IOP percent reductions in the initial treatment group at one, 12, and 24 months were 21.1%, 24.8%, and 22.8% respectively. The IOP percent reductions in the adjunctive treatment group at 1, 12, and 24 months were 19.6%, 22.9%, and 20.2% respectively. There were no differences in IOP percent reduction between the initial treatment group and the adjunctive treatment group.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty has shown reasonable efficacy in lowering IOP over two-year follow-up period as initial and adjunctive treatment for ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma.