AIM: To explore the efficacy of Ex-press glaucoma drainage device on open-angle glaucoma.

METHODS: We collected the clinical data of those patients who were diagnosed as open angle glaucoma and had undergone Ex-press glaucoma drainage device implantation or trabeculectomy in the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2014 to May 2016. The data of patients was collected and used to make a comparison involving sex, ages, best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), intraocular pressure(IOP), the amount of corneal endothelium cells and complications before and after operations.

RESULTS: There was no significantly different(P>0.05)between the Ex-press group and trabeculectomy group on postoperative BCVA at 6mo. Both groups had obvious effects on the drop of IOP after operations(P<0.001), but there was no difference between the two groups at any time after operations. Ex-press group had no significant difference at 6mo while it had in the trabeculectomy group about the amount of corneal endothelium cells comparing with preoperative. The incidence rate of overall complications about Ex-press group and trabeculectomy group was 15% and 43% respectively, it had a significant difference between two groups(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The Ex-press glaucoma drainage device had similar efficacy with lower complication rate and smaller influence of corneal endothelium cells comparing with trabeculectomy.