AIM: To compare the long term outcome of trabeculectomy in patients with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEG) and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in terms of surgical success. METHODS: The success of the trabeculectomy was evaluated by three criteria. Criterion A: intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤21 mm Hg and decrease in IOP ≥20%; Criterion B: IOP ≤18 mm Hg and decrease in IOP ≥30%; Criterion C: IOP ≤15 mm Hg and decrease in IOP ≥50%. Patients that met these criteria without medical treatment were considered to be completely successful, while those that met these criteria with medical treatment were considered partially successful. Significance levels of differences between the POAG and PEG groups in the Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated with the log-rank test. RESULTS: Sixty-four eyes from 64 patients with PEG and 51 eyes from 51 patients with POAG were evaluated. No significant differences were detected between the PEG and POAG groups according to full or partial success relative to each of the three criteria (A: P=0.73, 0.32; B: P=0.73, 0.31; C:P=0.90, 0.27). CONCLUSION: There is no difference in the long-term success of trabeculectomy between PEG and POAG patients whose clinical characteristics are otherwise the same.