Referral for glaucoma surgery and types of surgery in different European regions in 2025, the EURACCUR study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: To investigate the characteristics of referral for glaucoma surgery and compare surgical practices in various European regions in 2025. Data of 300 eyes of 300 consecutive patients undergoing glaucoma surgery were analysed using a standardized questionnaire and compared between geographical regions. Glaucoma specialists from one centre per country provided data on demographics, glaucoma types, intraocular pressure (IOP), visual field and structural metrics, types of surgery and referral timeliness (timely, later than optimal, late). The median (quartiles) age was 72 (64–78) years. Primary open angle glaucoma (52.0%) and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (23.0%) were the most common glaucoma types. Median disease duration was 75 (28–144) months, preoperative IOP 22 (18–28) mmHg, mean deviation − 14.47 (− 21.60 to − 7.85) dB, and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness 60 (50–75) µm. Trabeculectomy (38.3%), minimally invasive bleb forming surgeries (28.3%), and drainage devices (11.3%) were the predominant procedures; 18.7% of the surgeries were combined with phacoemulsification. More severe disease was associated with filtering or drainage device surgery (p < 0.001). Referral was timely in 34.7%, later than optimal in 35.7%, and late in 29.7%. Late referrals were associated with higher IOP, more advanced MD, and thinner RNFL (p < 0.001). Regional differences were significant for common glaucoma types (p = 0.013) and surgical choice (p < 0.0001). Late and later-than-optimal referrals ranged between 22% and 38.3%, and 30.0% and 41.7% between the regions, respectively. The proportion of timely referrals in the East European region (20%) was significantly lower than that in the South and West European (approximately 40%) and North European (31.7%) regions (p = 0.019). Marked differences exist in Europe in glaucoma referral timeliness and surgical practice. Late referral remains frequent and associated with advanced structural and functional damage in Europe. What is known What is new
Authors: Jose Martinez-de-la-Casa, Ingeborg Stalmans, Luís Abegão-Pinto, Fotis Topouzis, Marta Pazos, Heny Beckers, Ingride Januleviciene, Francesco Oddone, Karl Mercieca, Ana Miguel, Gauti Jóhannesson, Miriam Kolko, Mia Zorić Geber, Barbara Cvenkel, Francis Carbonaro, Nikola Babic, Javier Garcia-Bardera, Mehmed Ikinci, Aurija Kalasauskiene, Gloria Roberti, Jan Henrik Simonsen, Tena Križ, Adrian Mifsud, Constance Liegl, Gábor Holló
Institutions: Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos, KU Leuven, University of Lisbon, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Consorci Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi I Sunyer, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht University, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics, Fondazione G.B. Bietti, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Caen Normandie, University of Iceland, Karolinska Institutet, S:t Eriks Ögonsjukhus, Umeå University, University of Copenhagen, Aalborg University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Sisters of Charity Hospital, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana University Medical Centre, King's College London, Mater Dei Hospital, University of Novi Sad, Klinički centar Vojvodine, Prima Medica
Language: English
Subfield: Ophthalmology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,990
OpenAlex ID: W7140875075