Effects of postoperative atropine eye drops on visual quality in patients undergoing trabeculectomy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of atropine on patients’ perception of visual quality after trabeculectomy. Forty patients undergoing standard trabeculectomy with mitomycin C were enrolled in this prospective randomized study. All surgeries were conducted at the ophthalmology department of the University Medical Center of Mainz, Germany. All patients received the same postoperative treatment with ofloxacin and dexamethasone eye drops. Following randomization of patients into two groups of 20 patients, the intervention group also received atropine eye drops three times daily for the first 2 days after surgery to stabilize the anterior chamber. All patients completed a visual quality questionnaire before surgery and 2 and 6 weeks after surgery. Results were compared using the Wilcoxon test. After surgery, there was a reduction in visual quality in all patients. Patients who received atropine eye drops described a greater and longer-lasting reduction in visual quality than those who did not receive atropine eye drops. Trabeculectomy often leads to a transient reduction in visual quality. This reduction was greater in severity and duration in patients who received postoperative atropine eye drops. Thus, unless there is an underlying medical necessity, we would discourage the application of atropine as a standard therapy for trabeculectomy surgery.