Life expectancy of patients with neovascular glaucoma drained by Molteno implants

Abstract Purpose: To determine the survival of patients with sighted eyes who had Molteno implants inserted for neovascular glaucoma. Methods: Patients who had Molteno implants inserted for neovascular glaucoma between October 1977 and March 2001 at Dunedin Hospital, New Zealand, were reviewed. Relative survival analysis was then used to compare survival in this group to survival of the New Zealand population of the same age. Results: A total of 114 patients had 131 Molteno implants inserted for neovascular glaucoma. Neovascular glaucoma was secondary to central retinal vein occlusion in 66 eyes (50%) and diabetes in 42 eyes (32%), and patients lost 52% or 6.53 years of their expected remaining life span. Age, sex and postoperative intraocular pressure control did not predict survival. The only predictor of improved survival was a preoperative visual acuity of 6/48 or better. These patients lost 21% (or 2.43 years) of expected remaining life compared to 62% (or 10.78 years) in those patients who had a presenting visual acuity of 6/60 or worse. Conclusions: Patients with neovascular glaucoma had a markedly reduced life expectancy, which has improved in recent years when compared to that of the normal sex and age‐matched New Zealand population. Patients presenting with better vision (6/48 or better) survived significantly longer than those presenting with poorer vision.