Conventional Surgery Is Effective In Treating Glaucoma

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For some people, surgery might be the best treatment for glaucoma. Your ophthalmologist may suggest surgery as a first treatment, or after trying medication to lower your IOP.

There are several different types of surgery for glaucoma. The kind of surgery you and your ophthalmologist decide is right for you depends on many factors, including the type and severity of your glaucoma, and other eye problems or health conditions.

Glaucoma surgery may be performed using a laser or conventional surgical instruments

Filtering surgery is usually done in a hospital or outpatient surgery center, with local anesthesia, and sometimes, sedation. The surgeon uses very delicate instruments to remove a tiny piece of the wall of the eye (the sclera), leaving a tiny hole. The aqueous can then drain through the hole, reducing the intraocular pressure, and be reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

In some cases, the surgeon may place a small tube or valve in the eye through a tiny incision in the sclera. The valve acts a regulator for the buildup of aqueous within the eye. When the intraocular pressure reaches a certain level, the valve opens, allowing the fluid to flow out of the eye's interior, where it can be reabsorbed by the body.

The procedure may take place in the ophthalmologist's office or outpatient surgical center, and can be done under local anesthesia.

The recuperative period following incisional glaucoma surgery is usually short. You may need to wear an eye patch for a few days after surgery, and to avoid activities which expose the eye to water, such as showering or swimming.

Your ophthalmologist may recommend you refrain from heavy exercise, straining or driving for a short time after surgery, to avoid complications.