Laser Surgery for Glaucoma
By: Mark MonteiroTotal Views: 165, Word Count: 610,
Laser surgery for glaucoma is used to control glaucoma. One requires doing this surgery, so as to control one’s eye pressure due to diabetes. Let us first focus on what is glaucoma.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a type of eye disease. We all know that a type of clear fluid flows through the passages inside our eye. If one is having glaucoma, these passages get clogged or blocked.
When this happens, fluid in the eye builds up and causes increased pressure inside the eye. This can increase pressure against the optic nerve, damaging the patient’s vision.
Aspects of Laser Surgery for Glaucoma
- Laser surgery for glaucoma is carried out by using tiny, powerful light beam which helps to drain the fluid present in the eye.
- Laser surgery helps to make holes or shrink clogged areas of the eye
- Laser surgery for glaucoma helps to minimize eye pressure
- It is normally done at a doctor's office or at an outpatient surgery clinic
- After laser surgery, it may take 3 to 4 weeks to decrease the eye pressure. So it is needed to take glaucoma medicines after laser surgery.
- Always keep in mind that this surgery does not work for each and every patient. Your eye doctor will first do the eye tests to analyze the glaucoma.
- Any vision loss before this laser surgery will not return
- Laser surgery is used for controlling eye pressure for a specific period of time and then it wears off slowly over time.
Here are some of the important things that can affect the laser surgery:
- Patient’s age
- Type of glaucoma one has
- If one had glaucoma laser surgery before
- If one has diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.
Laser Surgery for Glaucoma
Before starting the surgery, the doctor will give eye drops to numb the eyes. The patient will be told to sit in a chair facing a slit lamp.
The laser machine is basically attached to the slit lamp
The doctor will put a special type of contact lens on the patient’s eye to aim the laser on the areas specifically aimed to be treated.
During the treatment, the patient will experience flashes of colored light. One may have one of the following laser surgeries:
Laser Trabeculoplasty
· This is used to treat open-angle glaucoma
· Doctor will use laser beam at trabecular meshwork, a place where fluid drains out of the eye. It is situated between the iris and cornea.
Laser Iridotomy
· This is done to solve the issue of angle-closure glaucoma
· The doctor gives eye drops to constrict pupil and use laser to make a small hole in the iris.
· This will allow the fluid to pass from backside of the iris to the trabecular meshwork.
Cyclophotocoagulation
- This is done to treat severe glaucoma
- In this case, the doctor aims the laser at the white part i.e. sclera of the eye.
- The laser passes from sclera to the ciliary which is the part of the eye that produces the eye fluid.
If one has glaucoma in both eyes, laser surgery for glaucoma will be beneficial and also less hectic.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Monteiro is graduated from the Hazard University and done his MBA from the he University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Currently he is working as general physician at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health. For over 15 years he has been a pioneer in the field of physician health. He has contributed to the treatment of many diseases like- ASTHMA, TUBERCULOSIS, HIV, HEPATITIS AND ITS TREATMENT.
Advice Rating: Not yet rated
Login to vote