Glaucoma care and surgical management in Azerbaijan
Authors: Aghayeva Fidan 
Published: January 2024

Glaucoma accounts for 14.5%–18.7% in the nosological structure of blindness and low vision in Azerbaijan, and for 13.4% in the structure of primary disability. In 2000 the prevalence of glaucoma in Azerbaijan was 0.1 per 10 000 people, in 2005–0.8 per 10 000 people. The overall reported incidence rate of glaucoma in the Republic of Azerbaijan is characterized by an increase of 15.4% for the period from 2001 to 2010 year. In order to organize and provide free comprehensive ophthalmological care in several remote regions of Azerbaijan, in 2015 a National Program “Identification and dispensary registration of glaucoma patients in various regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan” was created. Currently, 23 756 glaucoma patients are included in the official dispensary register.

Due to the lack of a unified statutory health insurance system before 2021 year with limited access to comprehensive glaucoma care and irregular follow‐up outside urban areas, as well as insufficient awareness of this disease in the general population, almost one third of all new diagnosed glaucoma patients in different remote regions of Azerbaijan in 2010–2020 years had already an advanced or end stage glaucoma in one or even in both eyes. That increased the percentage (69.8%) of performed traditional penetrating glaucoma surgeries or cyclophotocoagulation procedures, in 30.2% cases non‐penetrating/micro‐invasive glaucoma surgeries, glaucoma drainage device implantation or combined cataract‐glaucoma surgeries were performed.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the features of glaucoma surgical management and to present a model of glaucoma care in Azerbaijan. A developed model for comprehensive glaucoma care and glaucoma surgical management with regularly monitoring of IOP and carry on local glaucoma awareness programs in different regions of our country could provide early disease detection, dispensary registration of the patients, optimal treatment strategy with the use of different minimal invasive surgeries and prevent glaucoma related irreversible blindness in Azerbaijan.

Keywords: glaucoma awareness; glaucoma surgery; glaucoma drainage devices; trabeculectomy.

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