Glaucoma Treatment

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, affecting about 3 million Americans per year, but half of them don’t know it. That’s because glaucoma often has no symptoms at first. Thanks to advanced medical equipment, we can diagnose glaucoma and treat it in its early stages. There are two types of glaucoma: Open angle glaucoma the most common type in the US, and Narrow angle glaucoma.

Although seen more commonly in Asian countries, this type of glaucoma is still prevalent in Americans and can present with no symptoms or dramatically as a narrow angle attack characterized by severe eye pain, headache and blurred vision.

Laser Peripheral Iridectomy (laser PI) is the main treatment for narrow-angle glaucoma. It is usually done preventatively to reduce the chance of a narrow-angle attack. We have the latest lasers to perform this procedure right in the office.

Open angle glaucoma is usually caused by trouble with the drainage system in the eye. This causes fluid pressure in the eye to increase, damaging the optic nerve, the nerve between the eye and the brain. Open angle glaucoma initially has no symptoms and can be caught in the early stages only during an eye exam. We have the latest technology to catch glaucoma early . Control of eye pressure is the mainstay of therapy. Pressure may be controlled by the latest pharmaceutical eye drops, laser treatment or filtering surgery.

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) is the latest laser procedure to treat open angle glaucoma. It can be used with or as an alternative to glaucoma eye drops. It is performed right in our office. The procedure is performed in minutes and usually has minimal to no pain.

Medications and laser surgeries may not be enough to control glaucoma for some patients. We therefore, may recommend filtration surgery, the most traditional form being Trabeculectomy. We now offer the Express Shunt as an adjunct to Trabeculectomy filtering surgery.

Patients who need cataract surgery but also have mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma may benefit from I-stent implantation at the time of their cataract surgery. This may result in a reduction in the number of glaucoma drops needed postoperatively.

To learn more about glaucoma treatment options schedule an appointment with one of the Wills Eye doctors today.