Several Laser Surgery Options Available:

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• Trabeculoplasty Is used most often to treat open-angle glaucoma. In trabeculoplasty, a laser is used to place "spot welds" in the drainage area of the eye – also known as the trabecular meshwork – that allow the aqueous to drain more freely.

• Iridotomy Iis another kind of laser surgery used in treating glaucoma. It is frequently used to treat angle-closure glaucoma. In this procedure, the surgeon uses the laser to make a small hole in the iris-- the colored part of the eye – which allows the aqueous to flow more freely within the eye so the iris doesn't plug up the trabecular meshwork.

• Cyclophotocoagulation A laser beam is used to freeze selected areas of the ciliary body – the part of the eye that produces aqueous humor – to reduce the production of fluid. This procedure may be used to treat more advanced or aggressive cases of glaucoma.

Most laser surgeries for glaucoma can be performed in the ophthalmologist's office or an outpatient surgical facility. Eye drops are used to numb the eye for the duration of the procedure. Because there is usually little discomfort during glaucoma surgery, this is often the only anesthesia needed.

Little recuperation is needed after laser eye surgery. Patients may experience some local eye irritation, but can usually resume their normal activities a day or two after surgery.

In some cases, laser surgery is not the preferred surgical treatment for glaucoma. Sometimes, when vision loss is rapid, or medication and/or laser surgery fails to lower IOP sufficiently, "conventional" incisional surgery is the best option.