Good evening, Dr. Wilson. Welcome back from your trip.
Shunts are on the agenda tonight.
The tube leads the eye fluid out to the plate, where it is absorbed through the scar tissue surrounding it. Shunts don't result in thin blebs that can leak or get infected, but they don't give as low a pressure as trabeculectomies. However, a recent study revealed that shunts have a slow loss of effectiveness similar to that exhibited by trabeculectomies. It used to be said the average trab lasted seven years before it had to be redone. With 5-FU and Mitomycin, they are definitely lasting longer.