What kind of surgery is done for glaucoma?
When glaucoma gets to the point that your vision is very impaired, you may be starting to think about what solutions are out there to improve your vision and your life. Surgery for glaucoma is a common practice and therefore we have a lot of experience helping people regain their vision confidently. The key to avoiding blindness from glaucoma is early detection and treatment, so do not wait to have a consultation and start a treatment plan.
What is glaucoma?
Before we go into the treatment options for glaucoma, let’s talk about what glaucoma is. Glaucoma is a disease that if left untreated can lead to irreversible vision loss from damage done to the optic nerve. The most common form of glaucoma happens as a result of increased pressure in the fluid of the eye, known as increased intraocular pressure. There have even been instances of glaucoma reported where people have experienced optic nerve damage when the intraocular pressure has been normal, this is why it is so important to get regular eye exams.
The exact cause of glaucoma is still unknown. We do know that the main contributing factor is a blockage of passages that normally allow the fluid within your eye to drain. When this happens the build up of fluid in the eye can put damaging pressure on the optic nerve that can, if left untreated, lead to loss of vision. The nerve fibers and blood vessels in the eye are very fragile and can be easily damaged by this change in pressure causing vision loss to occur.
What kind of surgery is done for glaucoma?
Treatment for glaucoma is designed to lower your eye pressure, improve fluid drainage, or reduce fluid production. It is important to note that damage from the disease is irreversible, but when caught early, you can typically avoid severe vision loss. Unfortunately, there is no cure for glaucoma. The best way to slow the progression of this condition is to improve lifestyle habits and stick to your plan of care prescribed by your doctor.
Glaucoma is first treated and maintained with prescription eye drops and medications which must be taken regularly to be effective. In some cases, we can treat glaucoma with therapy or surgery, but any vision once lost will unfortunately be lost for good. This is why the sooner glaucoma is diagnosed the better.
The eye surgeons at Perich Eye Center offer the following forms of treatment to effectively control your glaucoma: Eye Drops and Laser Therapy. The need for surgery to treat your glaucoma will be determined by one of our doctors at Perich Eye Center. Depending on the type of glaucoma you have, we will recommend one of these options:
Trabeculectomy: This involves the doctor putting a tiny cut on the white part of the eye to let fluid build up drain which can be either a Xen Stent or an Ahmed Shunt.
Cyclophotocoagulation: This may be a suitable option if others are not recommended. A small laser is used in multiple settings to relieve pressure within the eye.
SLT (Selective laser trabeculoplasty): In this laser surgery, the doctor will use a highly targeted but low-level laser on the spots where there’s a pressure build up. This is not painful. The cold laser technology opens up blocked drainage ducts in a way that minimizes discomfort as well as scar tissue development. SLT is the most common path we end up choosing.
We will discuss how long it may take for you to see results after your SLT procedure at one of your pre-surgical appointments. Depending on the severity of your condition, results can be seen in as little as one month. SLT typically lasts for one to five years. In some cases the benefits of SLT last for more than five years. In rare cases, SLT patients may see a return of glaucoma-based pressure in their eyes within 6 to 12 months of surgery. If this happens, we will continue to work with you to find other workable options for your care.
Are there any risks involved with glaucoma surgery?
Compared to some glaucoma medications, SLT offers better side effect rates, with only mild inflammation reported by post-operative SLT patients. Inflammation following SLT is managed with eye drops or NSAIDS. Some glaucoma patients find that SLT controls intraocular pressure completely. Others may need to take glaucoma medication as a supplement to glaucoma laser surgery. While Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty should not be considered as a glaucoma cure, SLT can definitely help reduce the severity of intraocular pressure.
Can glaucoma be prevented?
The biggest thing you can do to prevent glaucoma is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and manage any chronic conditions such as diabetes to the best of your ability. Since the damage done by glaucoma can not be reversed, the best way to prevent loss of vision is through regular eye exams and early detection. You can also slow the progression of glaucoma by taking your eye drops and medications regularly.
What are the different types of glaucoma?
There are two types of glaucoma:
1.) Open-Angle Glaucoma: This form of glaucoma affects 70-90% of people with this diagnosis and results from a gradual rise in intraocular pressure due to a blockage in the trabecular meshwork of the eye.
2.) Angle-Closure Glaucoma: This form of glaucoma is a result of a bulging iris that blocks or narrows out the drainage passages in the eyes and can either be acute or chronic.
Each type of glaucoma has its own prognosis:
1.) Acute glaucoma: If an episode of acute glaucoma is treated early enough, there is a good chance that the vision in the affected eye will be able to be recovered at a high percentage of what it was before. However if neglected, or not treated properly blindness can occur within two days or less.
2.) Open-angle glaucoma: Prognosis for Open-angle glaucoma is dependent on how well a person sticks to their eye drop and medication plan of care. If neglected, blindness can occur.
How can I be tested to see if I have glaucoma?
At Perich Eye Center, we are highly trained to recognize and test for glaucoma. We use a painless procedure called tonometry to measure the internal pressure of your eye. It is important to come in for regular eye exams so that we can establish a history record that enables us to easily detect changes. Testing for glaucoma is always part of a complete eye exam.
Who gets glaucoma?
Over two million people in the United States are currently living with some form of glaucoma, making it one of the most prevalent conditions we treat. Risk factors include but are not limited to family history of glaucoma, low eye pressure, pre existing conditions like diabetes and heart disease, smoking, nearsightedness, and race. African Americans are more susceptible to open angle glaucoma and are fifteen times more likely to experience blindness as a result of this condition.
We highly recommend that from thirty years of age and on you schedule regular eye exams as an early prevention method and detection tool against glaucoma. Early detection promises better outcomes and greater ability to prevent damage that can lead to blindness.
If you are experiencing any of these problems, or have already been diagnosed with glaucoma of the eye and are looking for highly trained specialist, the team here at Perich Eye would be happy to help you out.
Please feel free to contact us today to schedule your next eye exam.
