Glaucoma- Jacksonville Bowden Eye Associates

Glaucoma is treated by lowering eye pressure. Treating high pressure is in many ways a plumbing problem. There is more fluid entering the eye than is leaving the eye, causing the pressure to rise. Lowering the pressure involves either decreasing the amount of fluid entering the eye ("turning down the faucet") or increasing the fluid leaving the eye ("fixing the drain").

Medication

There have been many recent advances in the drops available to treat glaucoma.

While most patients are able to tolerate the drops, patients must understand that in order for the drops to be effective, they must be strong. Some of the medication eventually reaches the blood stream where it can have system-wide side effects.

  

Surgery

If a patient's eye pressure cannot be lowered adequately by a series of drops, or a patient becomes intolerant to the drops surgery must be performed. Procedures include:

  • Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) - Used in people with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). SLT treatment may reduce the number of glaucoma drops that a patient must use daily. This laser surgery is believed to be safely repeated many times. SLT is performed in the office.

  • Ahmed Shunt - This valved drainage device is used to treat complicated glaucoma. It is implanted in the eye to create better flow of the aqueous humor, lowering pressure in the eye. This procedure is performed in the outpatient surgery center.

  • Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI) - Performed almost exclusively for patients with narrow angles, narrow angle glaucoma, or acute angle and closure glaucoma. The laser creates an opening in the iris that increases the flow of fluid. This is done in the office with topical anesthetic drops.

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