EX-PRESS glaucoma filtration device: Review of clinical experience and comparison with trabeculectomy

Glaucoma filtration surgery is performed to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients for whom maximal tolerable pharmacologic IOP-lowering therapy and/or laser surgery fail to lower IOP sufficiently and/or fail to prevent optic nerve damage or visual field deterioration. For decades, the most widely utilized procedure for glaucoma filtration surgery has been trabeculectomy. Although this approach reliably provides long-term IOP reduction in many patients, the postoperative complication rate is high. This has driven the development of alternative approaches to reduce IOP surgically. The EX-PRESS glaucoma filtration device was developed to mimic IOP control by trabeculectomy and to have a better safety profile. This non-valved, medical-grade stainless steel device diverts aqueous humor from the anterior chamber to an intrascleral space. Despite the widespread use of the EX-PRESS device, only a few studies compare its efficacy and safety with that of trabeculectomy. We analyze available data regarding the safety and efficacy of the EX-PRESS device, particularly in comparison with trabeculectomy.