Two-year outcomes of Xen 45 gel stent implantation in patients with open-angle glaucoma: real-world data from the Fight Glaucoma Blindness registry

Objective: To evaluate efficacy and safety outcomes of the Xen 45 gel stent implant over 24 months of follow-up.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the Fight Glaucoma Blindness observational registry. Complete success (CS) was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction ≥20% from preoperative and an IOP ≤18 mm Hg and ≥6 mm Hg with no secondary procedure at 2 years and without IOP-lowering medications. Qualified success (QS) was defined similarly, allowing the use of IOP-lowering medications.

Results: The Xen 45 gel stent implant was implanted in 646 eyes of 515 patients. Preoperative IOP was 21.4±7.6 (mean±SD) mm Hg on 2.7±1.3 IOP-lowering medication and mean deviation was -10.2±8.4 dB. After 24-month follow-up, IOP was 16.8±7.3 mm Hg (mean reduction of 21.7%) on 1.2±1.4 IOP-lowering medications. CS and QS rates at 24 months were 26% and 48%, respectively. CS and QS were higher in the Xen stand-alone group (33% and 52%, respectively) than in the Xen+cataract group (16% and 42%, respectively). Bleb needling was performed in 28.4% of cases, and 18% underwent a secondary procedure.

Conclusions: The Xen 45 gel stent implant offers acceptable long-term efficacy for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma. However, there is a significant rate of reoperation and needling, and outcomes are less effective if combined with cataract surgery.

Keywords: Glaucoma; Optic Nerve; Treatment Surgery.