Glaucoma Surgery

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a procedure performed to reduce pressure in the eye.  During the treatment a laser beam is applied to drainage channels in the front of the eye, to unclog them.  This means that the fluid in your eye flows through the channels better, reducing the intraocular pressure.  SLT is effective in about 75% of patients.  If the treatment is successful, some patients can reduce the number of eye drops needed to manage their glaucoma. Complications are generally mild, and include inflammation and occasionally a transient sharp increase in eye pressure.  Eye drops are given after the procedure to help prevent these problems.

Peripheral Iridotomy (PI) is a laser procedure creating a hole in the iris tissue allowing fluid to flow from the anterior chamber to the posterior chamber.  It is indicated in a variety of conditions including anatomically narrow anterior chamber angles, narrow angle and angle closure glaucoma, and pupillary block.  The treatment involves directing a high energy pulse of laser light at a thin spot in the iris to create a hole.  Complications are generally mild and include inflammation, bleeding in the eye, and a transient increase in eye pressure.  Eye drops are given after the procedure to help prevent these problems.

I Stent is a safe and effective treatment for glaucoma that is approved for use in patients having cataract surgery.  The stent is made of titanium and is a tube like device placed through the tissue layer called the Trabecular Meshwork (TM).  The TM is a point of resistance to fluid drainage from the eye and these stents reduce that resistance and therefore lower intraocular pressure.  The I Stent is believed to be the smallest medical device ever implanted into the human body.  It is effective at lowering intraocular pressure and may allow for a reduction in eye drops used to control eye pressure. Complications are infrequent and can include intraocular bleeding and transient increase in intraocular pressure.  These problems can generally be successfully treated with eye drops given after surgery.