Background/aim To evaluate the clinical outcomes of penetrating canaloplasty in traumatic angle recession glaucoma at 1 year.

Methods Patients with angle recession glaucoma underwent penetrating canaloplasty, a new Schlemm’s canal-based internal drainage procedure, which creates a direct canal for flow of aqueous humour from the anterior chamber to the ostia of Schlemm’s canal via a window created at the corneal scleral bed without use of antimetabolites. Postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), number of glaucoma medications, and procedure-related complications were evaluated. Success was defined as an IOP ≤21 mm Hg without (complete) or with (qualified) use of glaucoma medication.

Results Forty eyes in 40 patients with angle recession glaucoma underwent successful circumferential catheterisation. The mean patient age was 42±13 years. In patients with penetrating canaloplasty that was deemed to be completely successful, the mean IOP decreased from a preoperative value of 37.8±12.3 mm Hg on 3.3±1.2 anti-glaucoma medications to 18.5±6.4 mm Hg on 1.2±1.4 medications, 14.9±4.6 mm Hg on 0.1±0.5 medications, 15.7±5.4 mm Hg on 0.1±0.4 medications and 14.8±3.6 mm Hg on 0.1±0.5 medications at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively (p<0.05). Complete success was achieved in 35/40 eyes (87.5%) at 6 months and in 34/38 (89.5%) at 12 months. Hyphema (18/40, 45.0%) and transient IOP elevation (≥30 mm Hg, 9/40, 22.5%) were the most common postoperative complications.

Conclusion Penetrating canaloplasty significantly reduces IOP and has a high success rate in angle recession glaucoma.

Trial registration number ChiCTR1900020511.