Glaucoma is a serious eye condition that produces eye pressure which, in turn, damages the optic nerve. When damage occurs, it can lead to vision loss or blindness. Allow us to highlight four treatment options available for glaucoma:
1. Eyedrops
Before surgery is recommended, most eye doctors will suggest eye drops to help stop the progression of glaucoma. Because damage is caused by pressure in the eye, your prescription eye drops will help control the pressure in one of two ways:
- Help push the fluid out of the eye, or
- Reduce the amount of fluid entering the eye.
Prescription eye drops that have proven to help glaucoma patients include prostaglandins, beta blockers, alpha-adrenergic agonists, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, rho kinase inhibitor, and miotic or cholinergic agents. Your eye doctor will know which prescription eye drops will provide the best possible outcome.
2. Laser Therapy
Laser Therapy can treat open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of glaucoma. When your eye doctor uses laser therapy, he will create an opening in your eye’s trabecular meshwork. This will ultimately unclog these routes and help there to be less pressure in your eye. Thus, reducing or eliminating future damage to the optic nerve. Laser therapies we offer include:
- Transscleral Cycloablation
- Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
- Endocycloablation
- Goniotomy
3. Surgery
At Eyesight Associates, we want to help our patients have the best possible outcome including less recovery time. Concerning surgeries, the Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery is phenomenal, as it uses microscopic devices to complete the procedure. Because the invasiveness of the procedure is extremely low, our patients will enjoy a greatly reduced risk of complications.
4. Device
If laser therapy, eye drops, and surgery attempts have failed. A device like the Express Shunt may be necessary to reduce eye pressure. Your doctor will discuss what route is best for your specific situation and answer all of your questions.