Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition where the pressure inside of the eye is too high for the health of the optic nerve. The optic nerve is a very important structure which takes the information from the eye to the brain for visual processing. Therefore, damage to the optic nerve results in the inability of the brain to form images, and can lead to blindness. There are many different types of glaucoma. Some of these can be treated with eye drops. In other cases, in office procedures or surgeries in the operating room may be necessary. The goal of glaucoma treatment is to bring the eye pressure down to prevent damage to the optic nerve. Unfortunately once the optic
nerve is damaged, it cannot be restored. For this reason it is important to keep all your follow up appointments and follow the glaucoma specialists’s recommendations. During your glaucoma visits, the doctor will perform a variety of tests to assess the health of your optic nerve. From visit to visit, the tests will be compared to determine that your glaucoma is stable

Glaucoma Surgery

Glaucoma is a serious condition where the pressure inside of the eye is too high for the health of the optic nerve, leading to damage of the optic nerve and vision loss. Treatment of glaucoma is centered around lowering the intra-ocular pressure, thus preventing damage to the optic nerve. Earlier stages of glaucoma can be treated with eye drops to lower the eye pressure.
There are many different types of eye drops, and some patients will require multiple different eye drop medications to lower the eye pressure.
Some types of glaucoma can be treated with a type of laser procedure performed in the office, called “Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty” or “SLT.” This type of laser procedure is done in the office, and aims to open the drainage system of the eye in order to reduce the eye pressure. In some situations, patients undergoing cataract surgery are candidates for a Minimally Invasive
Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) at the time of cataract surgery. This procedure involves opening the drainage system in the eye surgically during the time of cataract surgery.

In advanced glaucoma where eye drops and laser treatments are not effective, a glaucoma tube shunt surgery may be necessary. In this type of surgery, a trained glaucoma surgeon will insert a tube device into the eye which will drain fluid out of the eye. The device will shunt (move) fluid out of your eye into a space under the tissue that covers the eye. This procedure is done in a surgery center or hospital setting.