SLT laser treatment (selective laser trabeculoplasty) is a safe, painless office procedure that may allow many of our glaucoma patients to eliminate or reduce the need for eye drops.
The procedure, which is covered by most insurance plans, takes just few minutes, and does not require any recovery time-you may drive yourself to and from the procedure, and resume all your normal activities immediately.
Most of our glaucoma patients are treated with drops to lower the pressure in their eyes. While the drops are, for the most part, effective, there are some distinct disadvantages to these medications:
- Eye drops must be used one to four times a day, and many patients forget to use them as often as is necessary.
- It is often inconvenient to instill the eye drops as scheduled, especially at work or in social settings.
- While eye drops are usually very safe, there is always the possibility a patient may develop a reaction or an allergy to any medication.
- The eye drops can be very expensive, with some of them costing $60-100 for a one month supply.
If you have glaucoma and want to know if the new SLT laser treatment is appropriate for you, call today to schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Providing SLT laser treatment is another way Mississippi Vision Correction Center continues to provide the very best and most sophisticated care available for our patients.
When medicines and laser surgeries do not lower eye pressure enough, doctors may recommend a procedure called a trabeculectomy.
A tiny drainage hole is made in the sclera (the white part of the eye). The new drainage hole allows fluid to flow out of the eye and helps lower eye pressure. This prevents or reduces damage to the optic nerve.
In most cases, there is no pain involved. The surgery is usually done with a local anesthetic or numbing medicine behind the eye. Relaxing medications are also given through an IV.
Most of the related studies document follow-up for a one year period. In those reports, it shows that in older patients, glaucoma filtering surgery is successful in about 70-90% of cases, for at least one year.
Occasionally, the surgically-created drainage hole begins to close and the pressure rises again. This happens because the body tries to heal the new opening in the eye, as if the opening were an injury. This rapid healing occurs most often in younger people, because they have a stronger healing system.
Usually, it's an outpatient procedure, requiring no overnight hospital stay. Your doctor will want to see you the following day to check your pressure, and look for any signs of infection or increase in inflammation.
For at least one week after surgery, patients are advised to keep water out of the eye. Most daily activities can be done, however, it is important to avoid bending and doing any heavy lifting. Since each case is different, patients should check with their doctor for specific advice.
The eye will be red and irritated shortly after surgery, and there may be increased watering. The inner eye fluid flows through the surgically-created hole and forms a small blister-like bump called a bleb. The bleb, usually located on the upper surface of the eye, is covered by the eyelid, and is usually not visible.
There may be some vision changes, such as blurred vision, for about six weeks after the surgery. After that time, vision will usually return to the same level it was before surgery.
In a few cases, the vision may be worse due to very low pressure, or a wrinkle in the macula (center of the retina) .
A patient’s glasses or contact lenses may need to be changed after surgery. In most cases, either gas permeable or soft contact lenses may be worn after the trabeculectomy; however there may be fitting problems due to the bleb. Special care is needed to avoid infection of the bleb. Contact lens users need to discuss these problems with their eye doctor before resuming lens wear.
