Incidence of bleb-related infection (BRI) is higher in Mitomycin C (MMC) augmented trabeculectomy, but reduced to a lower level, states an investigation in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Dr Keith Barton et al., Consultant Ophthalmologist, Glaucoma Service Director, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, conducted a retrospective case series on 194 intraoperative MMC augmented trabeculectomies from 1993 to 1997 and 764 MMC trabeculectomies performed between 1999 and 2005. The data gathered in the study was the position of the conjunctival flap base.

Of the cases operated on between 1993 and 1997, 11 BRI incidences were found, all of which were completed with a limbus-based conjunctival flap. In the 1999 to 2005 group there were nine cases of BRI and these were performed using a fornix-based conjunctival flap.

BRI incidence was higher in MMC augmented trabeculectomy. However the most significant change was from limbus-based to fornix-based conjunctival flap.