AIM:To research the long-term curative effectiveness and safety of compound trabeculectomy for primary open angle glaucoma(POAG) with intraocular pressure elevation after non-penetrating trabeculectomy. METHODS:Thirteen cases (25 eyes) who underwent compound trabeculectomy for (POAG) with intraocular pressure(IOP) elevation after non-penetrating trabeculectomy treated in our hospital during March 2006 to July 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Glaucoma with high IOP after operation belonged to refractory glaucoma. Compound trabeculectomy was used to treat glaucoma eyes with central island and tubular vision under topical anesthesia combined tenon anesthesia. Those factors were taken into account such as IOP, visual acuity, cornea, filtering bleb, anterior chamber depth and complications.RESULTS:All patients were followed up for 3 months to 5 years. The IOP was 28-52mmHg before the operation, and 11.7-18mmHg postoperatively. At the last visit 3 months after operation the IOP was 14.5mmHg. We set the IOP ≤21mmHg for success criteria. Three months later, vision was improved in 3 eyes (12%) , unchanged in 17 eyes (68%), declined in 5 eyes (20%), and in 25 eyes (100%) , cornea became transparent .There were 22 eyes (80%) with functional filtering blebs. The other 3 eyes with IOP elevation and non-function filtering blebs were also cured by compound trabeculectomy. The incidence of shallow anterior chamber, hyphema, and aqueous flare was 60%, 40%, 20%, and those signs disappeared after treatment. There was no occurring of complication such as endophthalmitis.CONCLUSION:Compound trabeculectomy is the further development of trabeculectomy, which is the most classic and effective way for glaucoma. Compound trabeculectomy for the treatment of POAG with ocular hypertension was found to have a long term curative effectiveness and safety. Compound trabeculectomy, as a supplementary means of ocular hypertension after non-penetrating trabecular operation, effectively protect the remaining vision. But advanced POAG is not suitable for non-penetrating trabeculectomy. 