Glaucoma is a very complex disease that may damage the optic nerve, leading to vision loss or complete blindness. We can only think about how glaucoma patients may feel, but we can’t imagine the pain and emotional stress they may be facing! To help such patients get out of that stress, science has come up with a surgery that can reduce pressure in the eye to decrease or prevent the damage of the optic nerve. Up till recently, the surgery involved was highly invasive and major. But, with the evolution of science and technology, doctors have found a new way of treating glaucoma patients with a minimally invasive surgery that can prevent any potential complications that may rise with other highly invasive surgeries.
However, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery is not a single type of treatment, but a group of surgeries that use microscopic sized equipment which require extremely small incisions. There are four basic types of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery procedures that a glaucoma surgery specialist may choose from.
- Miniaturized versions of trabeculectomy – Microscopic sized tubes are inserted directly into the eye to drain out the fluid.
- Trabecular bypass operations – Tiny devices and equipment are used to cut the trabecular meshwork to drain the fluid from the eye, without damaging the other surrounding tissues.
- Totally internal or suprachoroidal shunts – Tiny tubes are inserted into the eye through microscopic incisions to facilitate the drainage of fluid from the eye.
- Milder, gentler versions of laser photocoagulation – This is a laser procedure that is much advanced as compared to other procedures that require insertion of equipment into the eyes.
All the above procedures are absolutely safe and effective for one to undergo, no matter how mild or severe the glaucoma. However, there are certain restrictions for those who can undergo such procedures; like you must be at least of 18 years of age. To know if you are eligible to undergo such minimally invasive procedures, you must get in touch with an experienced and reliable eye specialist in Andheri West Mumbai, who can check your condition and let you know how you can proceed.
Generally, anyone who is 18 years and above, and is suffering from any kind of primary open-angle glaucoma, pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, or pigmentary dispersion glaucoma can undergo such a surgery. Patients with clinically significant cataracts can also undergo the procedure as surgery may be performed simultaneously. Also, glaucoma is uncontrolled with maximum pharmacologic treatment, or there are barriers preventing adequate medication dosing.
Thus, in patients with mild to moderate glaucoma with an IOP that has been unable to be controlled by medications, or those who have poor medication compliance, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery proves to be a viable option. Clinical trials have shown a significant decrease in IOP over up to 24 months, along with significant decrease in medication usage. The procedure is highly safe and effective, with minimal adverse effects. To have yourself treated by a glaucoma surgery specialist, you can approach Arohi Eye Hospital, the best eye hospital in Mumbai, where there is a team of specialized doctors who use modern and technologically advanced equipment to take care of the patients. More than 50,000 patients have satisfactorily had their treatments here in the past decade.
Dr. Shradha Goel
Dr. Shradha Goel, Chief Surgeon at Arohi Eye Hospital, is a renowned Phaco-LASIK surgeon with over 10,000 surgeries to her credit. She earned her MBBS from Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and a Master’s in Ophthalmology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. As a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Goel specialises in LASIK, refractive errors, and cataract treatments.