Aqueous release to treat IOP spikes post-cataract surgery

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Efficacy and safety of aqueous humour release (burping) performed at the slit-lamp to treat acute intraocular pressure (IOP) spikes post-cataract surgery

  • IRAS ID

    240539

  • Contact name

    Anant Sharma

  • Contact email

    anant.sharma@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Bedford Hospital

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    NCT03500809

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 6 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Intraocular pressure (IOP) rise after cataract surgery is an important and common problem. (Kim et al, 2011) Over 300,000 cataract operations are done per year in the United Kingdom alone (Day et al., 2015). IOP rise can adversely affect vision and can be particularly detrimental in glaucoma patients with preexisting visual field defects (Tranos et al., 2014). The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aqueous humor release (also known as 'burping' of the wound), a procedure that has been used for decades to quickly reduce acute IOP spikes following cataract surgery. At present there is no published evidence on a standard technique to perform wound 'burping'. Similarly there is uncertainty with regards to the amount and duration of the IOP decrease, and the type and frequency of complications eventually associated. This will be the first research project formally evaluating this procedure. This study will also help allay issues over fluid release in high IOPs and consequences of such dramatic IOP drop which concerns ophthalmologists who do not routinely use this technique.

  • REC name

    East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    18/EE/0185

  • Date of REC Opinion

    9 Oct 2018

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion