Hopeless glaucoma cases fluctuate between excessive pressures and phthisis. Due to the underlying disease (neovascularization in the chamber angle, chronic inflammation, dysgenesis, aphakia) the customary surgical pressure-lowering operations often fail and medication is also useless. As a "last-ditch" measure, there remains only destruction of the ciliary body. In the Zurich eye department, noninvasive cyclophotocoagulation has been performed since 1987. The present paper reports on the first cases with long-term follow-up.