Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty Compared With Medication for Open-angle Glaucoma Patients: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Cost-effectiveness Analysis
Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading worldwide cause of blindness. There has been a rise in studies published comparing the effectiveness of SLT versus medication for treating open-angle glaucoma. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to compare SLT with medication therapies. At 52 weeks or longer, both the SLT group and the medication group had significant IOP reduction of 1.91 mmHg and 1.70 mmHg, respectively. At 6 months, medication with adjunctive SLT treatment significantly reduced the mean number of medications used by 0.78 where the medication treatment had no significant decrease. Quality of life between participants in the SLT and medication groups were found to be similar. Furthermore, a cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to assess the cost-effectiveness of SLT compared with medication. Using a Markov model, SLT treatment had a lower healthcare system cost of $2,189.74 and better health outcomes of 0.10 quality-adjusted life year per patient compared with medication treatment.