What Is Glaucoma? What Can I Do About Glaucoma?
When medications do not achieve the desired results, or have intolerable side effects, your ophthalmologist may suggest surgery. Below are a few laser & surgical treatment options that may be suggested by your ophthalmologist.
Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)
MIGS is one of the new and exciting prospects in the treatment of glaucoma. This procedures is exciting from a patient’s perspective because they are generally safer with quicker recovery times.
Trabeculoplasty
This is the most common laser procedure performed for open-angle glaucoma. This procedure takes between 10 and 15 minutes, is painless, and can be performed in either a doctor’s office or an outpatient facility.
Glaucoma: S.L.T. Surgery
Peripheral Iridotomy
This is most common procedure used for closed-angle glaucoma.
Glaucoma: Laser Iridotomy
Cycloablation
This type of laser surgery is usually reserved for eyes that either have elevated IOP after having failed other more traditional treatments, or those in which filtering surgery is not possible or advisable due to specific features of the eye.
Traditional Surgery
When medications and laser therapies do not adequately lower eye pressure, doctors may recommend conventional surgery.
Trabeculectomy
This common surgery is used in both open-angle and closed-angle glaucomas. It is usually an outpatient procedure. The number of post-operative visits to the doctor varies, and some activities, such as driving, reading, bending and heavy lifting must be limited for a period of time after the surgery. Even after having a trabeculectomy, a glaucoma patient may still need to use some eye drops to keep their pressure in the desired range.
Trabeculectomy: Overview
Drainage Implant
This is another surgical option where devices, generally a small silicone tube, have been developed to aid the drainage and lower IOP. This type of is preferred in patients whose IOP cannot be controlled with traditional surgery or who have previous scarring.
Glaucoma Treatment: Drainage Device