To compare the effect and safety of two regimens of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT), SLT on 180° of trabecular meshwork and SLT with 100 laser spots on 360° of trabecular meshwork in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

In a retrospective clinical study, the authors compared the pressure-lowering effects of SLT in two groups of patients; group 1 (83 patients) received SLT on 180°, group 2 (30 patients) on 360° of trabecular meshwork. The clinical outcome indicators included intraocular pressure (IOP) at one day, one week, one month, two months, three months and six months after SLT, and the anterior chamber reaction at post-laser one day.

There was no statistically significant difference in the IOP reduction between these two regimens after six months. The anterior chamber reactions in the two groups were significantly different (group 1; 0.61 ± 0.64, group 2; 1.25 ± 0.83, p = 0.001). The success rate of group 2 (43.3%) was not different from that of group 1 (31.3%; p = 0.23).

SLT on 180° of trabecular meshwork had a similar effect compared to that of SLT on 360° of trabecular meshwork in terms of IOP reduction. The authors of the present study suggest that 180° SLT is the safest procedure with regard to success rate and complications.