NCT01687465

A Trial to Compare the Laser Treatment (SLT vs. ALT) in Glaucoma Patients

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) in Open Angle Glaucoma Who Had Been Previously Treated With Complete SLT

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 139 (actual)
• Sponsor: London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Lasers are important therapy in glaucoma. They are a pivotal point in treatment between medical and surgical care. Over the last 10 years a new laser has emerged as the usual laser treatment: Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). SLT works as well as the older laser used: argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT). However SLT has many theoretical benefits over ALT including causing less damage to the tissue it affects. One of the potential patient centered benefits of this laser is that it may be repeatable. It is even possible that the old laser ALT may be useable after an SLT treatment. This study aims to uncover whether repeat laser is possible after SLT and if so which laser is more effective (ALT vs SLT). The potential of repeating laser therapies may delay surgical treatment and its complications. Also understanding which laser to use will help eye doctors know how to treat their patients at this point of the disease.

Conditions

• Glaucoma

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Argon laser trabeculoplasty	With Argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT), thermal energy is used directed towards the Trabecular Meshwork (the site of aqueous drainage from the eye),which causes focal scarring of trabecular meshwork, thus enable fluid drainage more effectively. However, this procedure may not be repeatable since it causes too much damage to the trabecular meshwork.
PROCEDURE	Selective laser trabeculoplasty	Selective laser trabeculoplasty is a relatively newer technology that uses a Nd:YAG laser to target specific cells within the trabecular meshwork. SLT does not cause coagulative damage to the trabecular meshwork, and thus has the advantage of being repeatable.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-11-01
• Primary completion: 2018-03-01
• Completion: 2018-03-01
• First posted: 2012-09-19
• Last updated: 2018-03-06

Locations

7 sites across 1 country: Canada