Overview of cicatricial modulators in glaucoma fistulizing surgery

Trabeculectomy is the most commonly performed surgery for the definitive treatment of glaucoma. Despite its high resolvability, the postoperative period requires high caution so that excessive filtration or scarring does not occur. This paper aimed to research alternative options to those most used as healing modulators, mitomycin C (MMC) and 5-fluorouracil, commonly associated with complications. This systematic review used the PubMed and SciELO databases, covering publications from 1972 to 2019. A total of 31 substances and methods were analyzed. Some, such as anti-VEGF, glucocorticoids and betatherapy, did not show results statistically superior to those of MMC. Others, such as the enzyme α5β1-integrin and Ologen®, demonstrated efficacy and safety at least similar to that of this drug. In conclusion, further research is still needed for drugs that lead to the same results as mitomycin, but with fewer side effects. More recent studies have focused on technologies that increase communication between target tissues and antifibrotic molecules at the cellular level, being a promising bet for the future.