ASCRS 2025: A UK study demonstrates the benefit of endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation for patients with POAG and cataracts

Sheng Lim, MD, FRCOphth, is a professor of glaucoma studies at St. Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College London, both in the United Kingdom. He attended the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS) annual meeting in Los Angeles, California, where he presented findings from a recent study, Comparing the Effectiveness of Phacoemulsification + Endoscopic Cyclophotocoagulation Laser and Phacoemulsification Alone for the Treatment of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in Patients with Cataract (CONCEPT).

In conversation with the Eye Care Network, Prof. Lim explained why endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) has major potential for patients with glaucoma. "We had over 160 patients in the study and randomizations 1 to 1, so it's interesting, the results we're getting so far, [after] 1 year," Prof. Lim said. "What the CONCEPT study has shown in 1 year is that we're seeing a median difference in IOP of 2 mm mercury, in support of use of ECP in primary open-angle glaucoma."

Prof. Lim also noted unique features of the CONCEPT study which may inspire further analysis, including the demographic makeup of the study cohort, which is unique to the study's central London population. Additional findings on specific subgroups or patient populations may be a focal point in future research, he implied. "We're still waiting on that analysis to come through," Prof. Lim said.