Can a simple office procedure ease glaucoma pressure?
NCT ID NCT07803536
First seen Sep 03, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether removing the ripcord from a glaucoma drainage device more than 3 months after placement lowers eye pressure. Adults with glaucoma who have had the ripcord in place for over 3 months will have it removed during a routine clinic visit. Researchers will measure eye pressure before removal, 30 minutes after, and at 1 week, 6 weeks, and 3 months to see if the procedure helps control pressure and reduces the need for eye drops.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ripcord removal procedure
- What this could lead to
- If removing the ripcord lowers eye pressure, it could reduce the need for glaucoma medications and help preserve vision.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-arm study without a comparison group, so results may not apply to everyone. The procedure carries risks like infection or bleeding.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age \> 18 years * Placement of Ahmed Clear Path or Baervelt drainage device with ripcord \> 3 months * Diagnosis of Glaucoma, under active management at Duke Eye Center Glaucoma Clinic * Ripcord suture still in place and accessible for removal * Able to provide written informed consent * IOP \> 10 mm Hg Exclusion Criteria: * Active ocular infection or conjunctivitis in either eye * Inability to undergo ripcord removal procedure * Scheduled for further glaucoma surgery
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Duke University Eye Center
Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States
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