Background: The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare the efficacy and safety of combined phacoemulsification (Phaco) with goniosynechialysis (GSL) to either Phaco or to Phaco combined with trabeculectomy or trabeculectomy alone in patients with angle closure glaucoma (ACG).
Methods: Five main electronic databases were searched for the eligible studies. Intraocular pressure (IOP) decrease was set as the primary outcome, while anti-glaucomatous medication decrease, changes of anterior chamber depth (ACD), range of peripheral anterior synechia (PAS), and complication occurrence were the secondary outcomes. Standard mean difference (SMD) and relative risk (RR) were the size effects for continuous and binomial data, respectively. Either fixed-effects model or random-effects model was chosen to pool the data based on the heterogeneities.
Results: A total of 7 eligible studies were included. The combined data showed the IOP decreased more significantly after Phaco-GSL than that after Phaco alone (SMD = -0.42,95%CI: -0.70 - 0.14, I = 17.6%, Z = 2.90, P = .004). However, there were no distinct differences regarding medication decrease (SMD = -0.25,95%CI: -0.70 - 0.21, I = 0%, Z = 1.06, P = 0.29), ACD, the range of PAS and complication occurrence rate when compared Phaco-GSL to Phaco. Moreover, Phaco-GSL was comparable to Phaco-trabeculectomy/trabeculectomy in decreasing IOP (SMD = -0.08, 95%CI = -0.32 - 0.15, I = 0%, Z = 0.70, P = .49).
Conclusions: Phaco-GSL might be an optimal procedure to treat ACG with concomitant cataract due to its bleb-less nature, and its capacity for lowering IOP seems superior to Phaco alone and comparable to Phaco-trabeculectomy/trabeculectomy.