“What surgery can treat glaucoma?”
I am a 58 year old male. I want to know what surgery can treat glaucoma?
5 Answers
There are several types of surgeries for treating glaucoma ranging from laser procedures, filtering procedures, lens extractions, and filtering procedures depending on the type and severity of glaucoma.
There are multiple surgical options to treat glaucoma. Some are very low risk but not as effective done are riskier but better for more advanced glaucoma. Each procedure has appropriate indications and should be tailored to the specific patient's status.
Several surgical and laser options exist for treating glaucoma, all with the goal of lowering your eye pressure. An in-office laser treatment, called laser trabeculoplasty, can be effective in mild to moderate glaucoma. Glaucoma surgery in an operating room includes angle procedures to increase drainage of eye fluid through the normal drainage channels, filtering procedures and glaucoma tube implants to create a new drainage channel, and other laser procedures to decrease the flow of fluid into the eye. It is important to discuss your options with your ophthalmologist who can tailor your treatment to what best suits your situation.
There are different types of glaucoma surgery. Your doctor will help you identify which one you will benefit more from.
If glaucoma medicines and laser treatment haven’t helped to treat your glaucoma, you may need surgery. Surgery can not cure glaucoma or undo vision loss, but it can help protect your vision and stop it from getting worse by reducing your eye pressure . There are a few different types of surgery for glaucoma that can help lower the pressure in your eye: 1)Trabeculectomy 2) Glaucoma Implant Surgery 3) Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS). Surgery is generally performed on one eye at a time even if you need glaucoma surgery in both eyes.
Trabeculectomy
With this type of surgery, the ophthalmologist will create a tiny one way valve opening in the top of your eye, under your eyelid where no one will see it. This valve opening permits your excess eye fluid to drain away, lowering your eye pressure.
Usually, you will be awake during this procedure, but you will get local numbing medicine and systemic relaxing medicine. You should plan to have someone to drive you home the same day.
Glaucoma Implant Surgery?
With this type of surgery, the ophthalmologist implants a tiny tube or shunt onto your eye. The tube helps extra fluid drain out of your eye, lowering your eye pressure.
With this procedure as well, usually you will be awake, but you will get local numbing medicine and systemic relaxing medicine. You should also ask someone to drive you home the same day.
Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)?
The MIGS group of operations have been developed to reduce some of the complications of the previously aforementioned glaucoma surgeries. This group of distinctly different procedures also lowers eye pressure and are generally for mild glaucoma.
MIGS procedures work by using microscopic-sized equipment and tiny incisions. While they are safer and help you recover faster, some degree of effectiveness is also traded for the increased safety.
What happens after surgery?
Eye drops are prescribed to be taken for several weeks after surgery to help prevent infections and swelling. These eye drops are not the other glaucoma eye drops you may already be using, and in many cases those drops may be stopped.
While you recover, you may need to follow-up with your ophthalmologist to make sure your eye is healing well and avoid some activities, like heavy lifting.
For some people, the effect of surgery lasts a long time. For others, scarring requires that a surgery be performed again. You will need regular follow-up visits with your ophthalmologist.
Glaucoma surgery can have side effects, just like any operation. These side effects may include cataract, problems with the cornea (the clear surface layer of your eye), eye pressure becoming too low, and vision loss. Discuss surgery with your ophthalmologist. Together, you can make a treatment plan that’s right for you.
Trabeculectomy
With this type of surgery, the ophthalmologist will create a tiny one way valve opening in the top of your eye, under your eyelid where no one will see it. This valve opening permits your excess eye fluid to drain away, lowering your eye pressure.
Usually, you will be awake during this procedure, but you will get local numbing medicine and systemic relaxing medicine. You should plan to have someone to drive you home the same day.
Glaucoma Implant Surgery?
With this type of surgery, the ophthalmologist implants a tiny tube or shunt onto your eye. The tube helps extra fluid drain out of your eye, lowering your eye pressure.
With this procedure as well, usually you will be awake, but you will get local numbing medicine and systemic relaxing medicine. You should also ask someone to drive you home the same day.
Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)?
The MIGS group of operations have been developed to reduce some of the complications of the previously aforementioned glaucoma surgeries. This group of distinctly different procedures also lowers eye pressure and are generally for mild glaucoma.
MIGS procedures work by using microscopic-sized equipment and tiny incisions. While they are safer and help you recover faster, some degree of effectiveness is also traded for the increased safety.
What happens after surgery?
Eye drops are prescribed to be taken for several weeks after surgery to help prevent infections and swelling. These eye drops are not the other glaucoma eye drops you may already be using, and in many cases those drops may be stopped.
While you recover, you may need to follow-up with your ophthalmologist to make sure your eye is healing well and avoid some activities, like heavy lifting.
For some people, the effect of surgery lasts a long time. For others, scarring requires that a surgery be performed again. You will need regular follow-up visits with your ophthalmologist.
Glaucoma surgery can have side effects, just like any operation. These side effects may include cataract, problems with the cornea (the clear surface layer of your eye), eye pressure becoming too low, and vision loss. Discuss surgery with your ophthalmologist. Together, you can make a treatment plan that’s right for you.
