Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Glaucoma SurgeryWho Needs Glaucoma Surgery?PreparationRecoveryRisks and ComplicationsPreventionAlternatives
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Glaucoma Surgery
Who Needs Glaucoma Surgery?
Preparation
Recovery
Risks and Complications
Prevention
Alternatives
Various conditions can causeglaucomaand require differenttreatment approaches. Surgery can target this serious eye condition in various ways. In glaucoma, highintraocular (inside the eye) pressurethreatens theoptic nerve, which transmits visual information from the eye to the brain.
Currently, there’s no cure for glaucoma, but it’s possible to slow or possibly prevent vision loss with the aid of surgery, laser, and medication. The use of medication or laser is the more conservative approach, but surgery is the mainstay of treatment when these options don’t work.
Learn here about the varying types of glaucoma and the surgical procedures that can work to counter them.
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Types of Glaucoma Surgery (and How They Work)
Learn about the options that can help with the type of glaucoma you are experiencing.
Trabeculoplasty
Many people undergotrabeculoplastyfor open-angle glaucoma. As it doesn’t involve an incision, it is a non-surgical procedure. Trabeculoplasty is considered an appropriate first-line treatment in glaucoma and is often utilized before drops are even started.
Glaucoma Implant Surgery
Another way to reduce pressure in the eye is to use a tube shunt. With this approach, the shunt is placed into the eye’s anterior chamber to provide an alternative route through which fluid can flow out of the eye and bring pressure down.
This procedure is typically used in cases where conservative measures or trabeculectomy have not been successful. A tube shunt is also the preferred surgical procedure for certain subtypes of glaucoma, such as neovascular glaucoma.
Other options include iDose TR (travoprost). The iDose TR is a surgical implant that continuously releases medication. It is FDA-approved for the reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT).
Neovascular glaucoma is a type of secondary angle closure glaucoma in which new blood vessels grow in the iris and/or the anterior chamber angle, and intraocular pressure is increased.
Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)
This approach involves microsurgical procedures that can help lower intraocular pressure without some of the associated risks of more traditional glaucoma surgery. When used in the eye, they work to bring down pressure in various ways.
The ways different devices work include:
Cyclophotocoagulation (CPC)
Since less fluid flows through the eye, there is less strain on the drainage system, which is not functioning properly, and the pressure in the eye comes down.
Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI)
A laser peripheraliridotomyis done when the eye’s drainage system becomes blocked and does not allow fluid to flow out inangle-closure glaucoma. This can happen when the colored portion of the eye, the iris, blocks the drainage system.
A laser can create a tiny channel about the size of a pinhole in the iris. This allows fluid to flow to the front of the eye, and the eye pressure, in turn, decreases.
Who May Need Glaucoma Surgery?
Not everyone with glaucoma needs to undergo surgery. Glaucoma can often be managed with less invasive measures such as medication alone. However, for those whose vision appears to be at high risk of substantial sight loss, surgery may enable pressure to be reduced enough to spare vision.
Preparing for Glaucoma Surgery
If you need to undergo glaucoma surgery, you usually will have time to get ready. This may mean having a detailed discussion with your eye doctor about the kinds of medications you’re on and why. Some of these may interfere with the potential success of the procedure, while others remain essential.
Before the procedure, your eye doctor may ask you to do the following:
Recovery and Post-Operative Care
Glaucoma surgery usually allows you to return home just a few hours after the procedure. But keep in mind that the first few days after surgery are very important for your recovery. While you may feel more like your old self, it can take up to six weeks to fully recover.
Your eye will be patched initially after the procedure to protect it from injury and infection. Your eye doctor will give you specific instructions for the procedure you underwent. Once you get home, here’s what to expect:
In particular, you may feel some discomfort during the first few days. Your eye doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drops every hour or two. They may also suggest taking an OTC medication like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like Advil (ibuprofen) to reduce any pain.
In many cases, you will recover without incident from glaucoma surgery. But there may be instances when you experience a complication. Most of the time, any benefits of the surgery outweigh the risks, but still, there can be complications, such as the following:
Can Glaucoma Be Prevented
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent glaucoma. However, you can take steps to reduce the risk. Some steps you can take may include:
Alternative Treatment Options
Surgery will likely not be the only treatment option your eye doctor offers. The treatment recommended will depend upon the type and severity of your glaucoma.
You may need to take medication anywhere from one to four times a day. Your eye doctor may try several different ones before they find the best one for you. They may even recommend taking several medications at the same time to lower pressure sufficiently.
If these approaches, either alone or in combination, are not sufficient, surgery may be recommended.
Summary
If you have glaucoma and more conservative approaches, like the use of drops, are not sufficient, your eye doctor may recommend a surgical approach. Surgical approaches work in different ways, from increasing drainage to reducing the fluid produced in the eye. Your eye doctor can help you navigate the options and determine the best approach.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eye Institute.Glaucoma.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Laser trabeculoplasty: ALT vs SLT.UCLA Health.Laser trabeculoplasty.Wills Eye Hospital.Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT): a laser procedure to lower eye pressure.Bright Focus Foundation.Tube shunt drainage devices for glaucoma.Food and Drug Administration.iDose TR label.Senthil S, Dada T, Das T, et al.Neovascular glaucoma - a review.Indian J Ophthalmol. 2021;69(3):525-534. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_1591_20UT Southwestern Medical Center.Microinvasive glaucoma surgery or MIGS offers reduced risks.Bright Focus Foundation.Glaucoma surgery series: cyclophotocoagulation.NYU Langone Health.Surgery for glaucoma.UVA Health.Glaucoma surgery.Nvision.How long does glaucoma surgery take to recover from?Bright Focus Foundation.Glaucoma surgery series: the risks and benefits of glaucoma surgery.UPMC.Can you prevent glaucoma? 3 things to start doing now.NHS.Treatment glaucoma.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eye Institute.Glaucoma.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Laser trabeculoplasty: ALT vs SLT.UCLA Health.Laser trabeculoplasty.Wills Eye Hospital.Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT): a laser procedure to lower eye pressure.Bright Focus Foundation.Tube shunt drainage devices for glaucoma.Food and Drug Administration.iDose TR label.Senthil S, Dada T, Das T, et al.Neovascular glaucoma - a review.Indian J Ophthalmol. 2021;69(3):525-534. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_1591_20UT Southwestern Medical Center.Microinvasive glaucoma surgery or MIGS offers reduced risks.Bright Focus Foundation.Glaucoma surgery series: cyclophotocoagulation.NYU Langone Health.Surgery for glaucoma.UVA Health.Glaucoma surgery.Nvision.How long does glaucoma surgery take to recover from?Bright Focus Foundation.Glaucoma surgery series: the risks and benefits of glaucoma surgery.UPMC.Can you prevent glaucoma? 3 things to start doing now.NHS.Treatment glaucoma.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Eye Institute.Glaucoma.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Laser trabeculoplasty: ALT vs SLT.UCLA Health.Laser trabeculoplasty.Wills Eye Hospital.Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT): a laser procedure to lower eye pressure.Bright Focus Foundation.Tube shunt drainage devices for glaucoma.Food and Drug Administration.iDose TR label.Senthil S, Dada T, Das T, et al.Neovascular glaucoma - a review.Indian J Ophthalmol. 2021;69(3):525-534. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_1591_20UT Southwestern Medical Center.Microinvasive glaucoma surgery or MIGS offers reduced risks.Bright Focus Foundation.Glaucoma surgery series: cyclophotocoagulation.NYU Langone Health.Surgery for glaucoma.UVA Health.Glaucoma surgery.Nvision.How long does glaucoma surgery take to recover from?Bright Focus Foundation.Glaucoma surgery series: the risks and benefits of glaucoma surgery.UPMC.Can you prevent glaucoma? 3 things to start doing now.NHS.Treatment glaucoma.
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Food and Drug Administration.iDose TR label.
Senthil S, Dada T, Das T, et al.Neovascular glaucoma - a review.Indian J Ophthalmol. 2021;69(3):525-534. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_1591_20
UT Southwestern Medical Center.Microinvasive glaucoma surgery or MIGS offers reduced risks.
Bright Focus Foundation.Glaucoma surgery series: cyclophotocoagulation.
NYU Langone Health.Surgery for glaucoma.
UVA Health.Glaucoma surgery.
Nvision.How long does glaucoma surgery take to recover from?
Bright Focus Foundation.Glaucoma surgery series: the risks and benefits of glaucoma surgery.
UPMC.Can you prevent glaucoma? 3 things to start doing now.
NHS.Treatment glaucoma.
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