Treatment FAQ

what is the surgical treatment for glaucoma

by Dr. Samantha Botsford Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Glaucoma surgeries include the delicate, microscopic incisional trabeculectomy (with or without ExPRESS microshunt implantation), tube shunt implantation (a shunt is a glaucoma drainage device), and cyclophotocoagulation . There are also newer procedures called MIGS, or minimally invasive glaucoma surgery .Jul 6, 2021

Medication

Recovery time after glaucoma surgery varies per patient and per surgery, but most patients heal within 3 to 6 weeks. Reserve the day after the surgery for recovery time.

Procedures

  • Trabeculectomy (“tra-BECK-yoo-LECK-toh-mee”)
  • Glaucoma implant surgery
  • Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)

Therapy

Treatments for Open-Angle Glaucoma

  • Video: Overview of Treatments for Glaucoma
  • Laser Treatment for Open-Angle Glaucoma. ...
  • Medication Treatment for Open-Angle Glaucoma. ...
  • Surgical Treatment for Open-Angle Glaucoma. ...

Nutrition

Laser Surgery for Glaucoma

  • DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS:
  • Call your eye doctor if: You have severe eye pain. ...
  • Medicines: Medicines may be given to help decrease inflammation, eye pressure, and help your eye heal. ...
  • Care for your eye: Your eye may feel irritated, and you may have blurry vision. ...

More items...

How long does it take to recover from glaucoma surgery?

What surgical techniques are used to treat glaucoma?

What are some effective treatments for glaucoma?

How effective is laser surgery to treat glaucoma?

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What is the surgery to reduce eye pressure?

Trabeculectomy is a type of glaucoma surgery performed on the eye that creates a new pathway for fluid inside the eye to be drained. This is an outpatient procedure performed in the operating room. It is used to prevent worsening of vision loss due to glaucoma by lowering eye pressure.

Do they do surgery for glaucoma?

Glaucoma surgery is a procedure intended to reduce eye pressure in an effort to help stabilize vision and prevent future vision loss resulting from glaucoma. This is accomplished by creating a new opening for fluid to drain from the eye — or, by implanting a shunt to help drain the fluid.

Is trabeculectomy a major operation?

Trabeculectomy is a very delicate operation that requires an operating room, local anesthesia of the eye, an anesthesiologist, and about an hour of operating time. It is successful about 60-80 percent of the time in controlling the eye pressure during a period of five years.

What are the two types of surgeries for glaucoma?

There are a few different types of surgery for glaucoma that can help lower the pressure in your eye:Trabeculectomy (tra-BECK-yoo-LECK-toh-mee)Glaucoma implant surgery.Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)

What is the newest treatment for glaucoma?

Durysta is the first FDA approved sustained delivery bimatoprost implant approved for patients with open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. It is injected into the anterior chamber and settles in the inferior angle.

What does eye look like after trabeculectomy?

Your eyes may be blurry for up to 6 weeks after surgery. As this goes away, your vision will probably be as good as it was before surgery. But you may need to change your glasses or contact lenses. Certain kinds of glasses and contacts may be better for your eye after this surgery.

Is a trabeculectomy painful?

Your surgical site and stitches will be sore, but the soreness should improve once the stitches are removed. For the first two weeks after the procedure, you'll sleep with a protective shield over your eye while the surgical site heals to prevent it from being injured during the night.

Are you awake during trabeculectomy surgery?

You may get medicine to make you sleep during the surgery. Or you may be awake, but you will get medicine for pain. The surgery will take about 30 to 90 minutes. You can expect your eye to feel better each day.

What is the best treatment for glaucoma?

The following techniques are intended to improve the drainage of fluid within the eye, thereby lowering pressure: Laser therapy. Laser trabe culoplasty (truh-BEK-u-low-plas-tee) is an option if you have open-angle glaucoma.

How to treat glaucoma?

Glaucoma is treated by lowering your eye pressure (intraocular pressure). Depending on your situation, your options may include prescription eyedrops, oral medications, laser treatment, ...

What is a MIGS procedure?

Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). Your doctor may suggest a MIGS procedure to lower your eye pressure. These procedures generally require less immediate postoperative care and have less risk than trabeculectomy or installing a drainage device. They are often combined with cataract surgery.

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

All medications, supplements and vitamins you take, including the doses. Any eye problems you've had in the past, such as vision changes or eye discomfort. Family members with glaucoma, what type of glaucoma they had and how severe the condition was for them.

How to control eye pressure?

These tips may help you control high eye pressure or promote eye health. Eat a healthy diet. Eating a healthy diet can help you maintain your health, but it won't prevent glaucoma from worsening. Several vitamins and nutrients are important to eye health, including zinc, copper, selenium, and antioxidant vitamins C, E, and A.

What is the treatment for angle closure glaucoma?

If you're diagnosed with this condition, you'll need urgent treatment to reduce the pressure in your eye. This generally will require both medication and laser or other surgical procedures.

What is the best way to reduce eye pressure?

If eyedrops alone don't bring your eye pressure down to the desired level, your doctor may also prescribe an oral medication, usually a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Possible side effects include frequent urination, tingling in the fingers and toes, depression, stomach upset, and kidney stones.

What type of laser is used for glaucoma?

Here are some types of laser surgery for glaucoma: Argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT):This opens clogs in your eye so fluid can drain out. Your doctor may treat half of the clogs first, see how well it works, then treat the other half later. ALT works in about 75% of people with the most common kind of glaucoma.

What is the procedure to remove scar tissue from the inside of the eye?

These procedures include: Trabeculectomy:The surgeon will make a small cut in the white part of your eye to take out some of the mesh of tissue inside. This helps the extra fluid drain out. You may need to take some medicine along with this surgery so scar tissue doesn’t form.

What are the risks of cataract surgery?

Glaucoma surgery can make you more likely to get cataracts later. Other possible risks include: 1 Eye pain or redness 2 Eye pressure that’s still too high or even too low 3 Loss of vision 4 Infection 5 Inflammation 6 Bleeding in your eye

How do you know if you need laser eye surgery?

You shouldn’t feel much or even any painduring the treatment. You might notice a slight sting or burn. While you lie still, your doctor will hold a special lens up to your eye, then aim the laser at the exact spot where you need treatment. It may look like a very quick, bright flash. After Laser Surgery.

How long does it take for eye pressure to heal after laser surgery?

You might have to go into the hospital or surgery center, and you’ll probably need a few weeks to heal and recover. These procedures include:

What is the procedure called when the doctor places a tiny tube inside the eye?

Drainage implant surgery:The doctor places a tiny tube inside your eye so fluid can drain. Now there are minimally invasive implants. Electrocautery:In this procedure, the surgeon uses a heat device called a Trabectome to make a tiny cut in your eye’s drainage tubes. It sends heat to the mesh of tissue inside your eye.

Can a laser be used to treat glaucoma?

They’ll beam a laser into a structure inside your eye to ease pressure. You may need to repeat it over time to keep your glaucoma in check.

5 Types of Glaucoma Surgery

The following are types of glaucoma surgeries proven to restore normal eye pressure:

What to Expect Before & After Surgery

Glaucoma surgery is done at your doctor's office or an outpatient not facility.

Risks vs. Benefits of Glaucoma Surgery

Surgery has a very high success rate in significantly slowing the progression of glaucoma.

How Much Does Glaucoma Surgery Cost?

The cost of glaucoma surgery will depend on the type of surgery in question.

Summary

Glaucoma surgery is a surgical procedure done on the eye to reduce intraocular pressure in the eye caused by fluid buildup.

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Diagnosis

Treatment

Clinical Trials

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

Medically reviewed by
Dr. Sanyukta Joshi
Your provider will work with you to develop a care plan that may include one or more of these treatment options.
Treatment aims at reducing the intraocular pressure and preventing further damage to the optic nerves. Intraocular pressure can be reduced by increasing the drainage of aqueous humor or reducing its production through medications.
Medication

Beta-adrenergic antagonists: This helps reducing the production of aqueous humor.

Timolol . Levobunolol . Carteolol . Metipranolol


Prostaglandin analogues: Drugs help in the outflow of fluid from the eyes.

Latanoprost . Travoprost . Bimatoprost . Tafluprost


Adrenergic agonists: Drug that stimulates the reduced production of aqueous humor and increases the outflow.

Brimonidine


Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: Topical or oral medications that help in reducing the eye pressure by decreasing production of aqueous humor in the eye.

Dorzolamide . Brinzolamide . Acetazolamide


Parasympathomimetic agents: Improve the outflow of aqueous humor from the eye. Usually recommended for open angle glaucoma.

Pilocarpine


Osmotic agents: These are used to treat sudden and severe rise in intraocular pressure. Recommended in severe cases.

Isosorbide . Mannitol

Procedures

Trabeculectomy: Conventional surgery for glaucoma done to remove the accumulated fluid.

Laser assisted non penetrating deep sclerectomy: This is the currently used surgical technique for glaucoma. The procedure is similar to trabeculectomy but here penetration of sclera bed isn’t involved.

Glaucoma drainage implant surgery: Done by inserting a flow tube in anterior chamber of the eye and implanting a plate under the conjunctiva to allow the flow of aqueous humor. Usually recommended for severe cases of open angle glaucoma.

Laser trabeculoplasty: To create holes in the trabecular meshwork for drainage of aqueous humour. Also known as Argon laser. Usually recommended for some cases of open angle glaucoma.

Canaloplasty: It is a nonpenetrating procedure done using microcatheter technology.

Therapy

Peripheral iridotomy:To treat closed angle glaucoma by helping aqueous humor to flow from posterior to anterior chamber and also drain out. Usually recommended for closed angle glaucoma and in the other eye of an eye with closed angle glaucoma to prevent attack of glaucoma.

Nutrition

Foods to eat:

  • Iron rich foods such as spinach
  • Vitamin A containing foods such as sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes and milk
  • Protein rich foods such as eggs, milk
  • Zinc-rich foods such as green peas, eggs, wheat germ, chickpeas, oyster, red meat, poultry and certain sea food
  • Foods rich in vitamin C like green pepper, citrus fruits and tomatoes

Foods to avoid:

  • Foods with trans fatty acids like cookies, cakes and french fries
  • Foods with high saturated fats like full fat meat (beef)
  • Foods with caffeine like coffee
  • Avoid alcohol

Specialist to consult

Ophthalmologist
Specializes in the medical and surgical care of the eyes.

Alternative Medicine

Coping and Support

  • The damage caused by glaucoma can't be reversed. But treatment and regular checkups can help slow or prevent vision loss, especially if you catch the disease in its early stages. Glaucoma is treated by lowering your eye pressure (intraocular pressure). Depending on your situation, your options may include prescription eyedrops, oral medications, la...
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